Can I grow soursop and lychee trees in Texas? (palms, south, frost)

[JBAinTexas]

I understand both are tropical trees, and I love the fruits, especially when put in ice cream. Whenever I visit the Caribbean, I always get ice cream in either those fruits.

I live near Houston.

[Reactionary]

Does it ever get below 40F in Houston? Close. Then maybe not to the guanabana (soursop).

Does it ever get below 25F in Houston? No. Then probably yes to the soapberry (lychee).

However:

Lychee contains many phytochemicals. The seeds have been found to contain methylenecyclopropylglycine which can cause hypoglycemia, while outbreaks of encephalopathy in Indian and Vietnamese children have also been linked to its consumption.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapindus

[Isleofpalms85]

I don’t know if either one of those exotic tropical plants would be solidly winter hardy in even subtropical Houston, but I think that a lychee tree would have more of a fighting chance at surviving a typical winter in Houston Texas than a sour sop tree would.

[TerraDown]

If you like Lychee and don't want to chance it with temperature, grow Longan. It tastes almost identical and is hardy. I have several. Delicious.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longan

[Not in Kansas any more]

Originally Posted by Isleofpalms85

I don’t know if either one of those exotic tropical plants would be solidly winter hardy in even subtropical Houston, but I think that a lychee tree would have more of a fighting chance at surviving a typical winter in Houston Texas than a sour sop tree would.

I do not consider Houston to be subtropical. It is only in zone 9. It gets below freezing in winter regularly and occasionally snows. Some might think Houston is so hot it must be tropical but your true tropical plants know otherwise. In my limited experience, neither longans nor lychees like frost although longans are more likely to survive. In the Houston area you would need a very protected south facing alcove. Good luck.