I think you should bring it in because it might get wet feet since it's been raining. They like moist soil but not standing wet soil. I think they are hardy to about 32f but will get tip burns and possibly die back a little or completly since your tree is still young assuming. Establish mature trees in ground will take the cold better to about 28f for a few hours. I'm no expert so don't quote me on any of this. Hopefully some more experience person/'s will chime in to give more advice.

Ok,I haven't grown Lychee...but I have Mango,Coffee in the bay area. If you hear that we are going to be low 30's? take it in. 38? no problem. I worry at 35f and less predictions. Then you have to decide.

Hi Stanofh, thanks so much for chimming in. I did take the Lychee inside last night. Thank you very much for the cold frost/warning. I think we may have avoided a catastrophe!
I guess I will keep the tree in my house until winter is over, maybe put it back outside in March. Hopefully I can get at least one fruit to survive.

What kind of mango do you have? I've always wanted one but I heard they won't do well in the bay area/mostly that they will grow but fruits wont be sweet? What's your experience with that? Has yours fruited yet?

I have a Baileys Mango..it fruited (sweet) in 2011. Last years 32f cut it way back. Its now half the height- but with more branches. And since the graft died,technically its now a Haden.
Now planted out,I covered it with some cloth last night. No damage was done.
Mango growing in the bay area is frustrating and rewarding. Unlike Papaya or maybe tropical Guava's..Mangos DO taste sweet. Manila is another good one.
To my great surprise..a seedling Coffee that grew two summers ago..has wintered fine outdoors now in its second winter. Hasn't dropped a leaf..and shiny green too. Amazing how planting them out makes them MUCH,MUCH,hardier to cold then a potted plant kept outside. They ALWAYS died on me kept that way.

Has it really been that cold at night in Alameda? I'm there during the day and didn't think it was all that chilly, but what do I know.

Stanofh, how easy was growing the coffee from seed? I've been trying to sprout some seeds for about a week now and I'm getting impatient/worried.

Put them on something warm.. a fluorescent light ballast or..cable box..bring the soil temps to 80f.
Like I said..when they get larger..large enough to plant outside they are much more likely to take a bay area winter just fine. Keep them in a pot outside..and they never make it.
Big difference.

Thanks, I'll try more heat. My seed mat died on me so I've been testing various appliances. For the time being any sprouts will be indoor pot plants, no outside access for my appt.
Meixue, sorry for hijacking your post to talk about coffee!

Seven years later and came across this post. Its been so difficult to navigate Houzz to find the garden forum but I stumbled across this when researching lychees. My Lychee has been planted outside in the ground for over 3 years now and is still quite small (maybe 3 inch trunk diameter) and only about 6 feet tall. It produces flower spikes now and again but not many and they never have turned into fruit. I definitely made a mistake in choice of location. Its between two trees which now tower above it so it lacks direct sunlight and warmth. However its leaves are pretty and I do not want to dig it up just yet. Although I'm seriously thinking about it. Maybe place it in a large container on moveable plant caddy so it can be placed in direct sun. Hope everyone else plants are doing well. Is there another gardening forum that anyone uses other than Houzz? Its just so hard for me to find the Gardening 'Forums", they seem hidden or buried and I spent 20 minutes trying to figure out how to navigate to some kind of plant discussions here.

There's another Fruit Forum. But its strongly held down by ex houzz soucal and Florida posters who will tell anybody else they can't grow anything. I was embarrassed at some in norcal who fell in with them. Sheep!

Of course you can see Mango and Avocado vids in the bay area on youtube. Lychee is possible..but it's one I never tried. One soucal "expert" Fernandez I think his moniker was swore Avocado's wont grow in the bay area. I gave up on them.

Lychee can survive the winters in Southern California in zone 10 okay.

It's the Summers that can be hard on the plant.

(speaking from experience)

Brewster (and Hak Ip) should be able to survive zone 9b.

I wonder how her Lychee turned out? Oh well,lets hope they came through. No frost the last two winters here,but summers have also been even cooler than average also. Good for people type weather,not so great for tropical plants.

Hi all, my Lychee is still sitting in the ground but i did trim the loquat leaves away from it. It does get flower spikes ( I think back in June) but they all fell off. I joined CRFG and am on the goldengatecrfg@groups.io platform/emails which has turned out to be a helpful way to get advice on tropical plants in the bay area. I think my lychee is going to be ok but still hoping one day it will fruit. Either way, its leaves are pleasant to look at.

Best,

May

There is no need to bring your lychee tree indoors in Southern California, if you are in climate zone 10, and so long as the tree is at least a few feet tall.

Lychee trees are not really super-tropical, they more border on being on the verge of subtropical; somewhere in-between truly tropical and subtropical.

In fact if anything, you might want to move your tree to a slightly shadier location in the middle of summer if temperatures get really hot, in the dry climate of Southern California.

Alameda is in climate zone 10a.

I have a Mauritius and Brewster that have survived outdoors for several years in zone 10 (right in the middle between 10b and 10a). They seem to be very slow growing though.

Hello May,hope all plants are Thanksgiving well!

I never have tried Lychee,but I can tell you..it's VERY common for young tropicals in the bay area of all type to do a first flower and then never have any fruit. Avocados do that like it's the law. My Ataulfo Mango flowered last year (2019) no fruit..flowered this year..lots of fruit.

They all really need to build up the root system and canopy of leaves before they can support fruit.

Hi everyone, ran across this post again. update on my lychee . i still try to keep the loquat trees leaves away from shading the the lychee tree too much. stll very slow growing even though i fertilize regularly. frustrating that theres never any fruits but i will leave it in the ground amd cross my fingers it will one day fruit or at least grow bigger. whats growing well are my dragon fruits but still not too many blooms each year maybe 5 dragon fruits a year across 4 potted oplants 5 feet tall plants. will eventually need to get rid of maybe 2 of them to make space in the yard. ill be travelling to socal soon amd hope to pick up some wax jambu amd maybe a cherimoya. cant find any nurseries in the bay area that sell them. also does anyone know if there is anyone who might be willing to share some wax jambu cuttings with me? i could alao trade for sapote plants or changshou kumquat plants at 4 feet tall and nicely established. hope all is well with everyone.