Springfield, Ill., for her question:

WHAT IS A LEECHEE?

A leechee is an evergreen tree that is widely grown in southern China. The name is also spelled litchi and lychee.

The leechee is occasionally grown in many tropical and subtropical parts of the world. Commercial plants of the litchi tree were first grown in southern Florida in the early 1940s.

The tree has glossy, light green leaves with several leaflets. It bears clusters of bright red fruits. The juicy white pulp surrounding the single seed has a flavor similar to a muscat grape.

Dried litchis are sometimes called litchi nuts. The fruit has a raisin like texture and a pleasant, sweet flavor.

Litchi trees grow to be 20 to 40 feet tall.