Litchi chinensis is an evergreen tree that is frequently less than 15 m tall, sometimes reaching 28 m. The bark is grey-black, the branches a brownish-red. Its evergreen leaves are 12.5 to 20 cm long, with leaflets in two to four pairs. Flowers grow on a terminal inflorescence with many panicles on the current season's growth.

          The trunk is 0.8 m thick with corky bark. The branches are long and thick, typically drooping. The leaves are oblong and blunt-tipped, usually 10–20 cm long and 5 cm wide The fruit hangs in drooping clusters that are circular and about 2.5 cm wide.

          The leaves are arranged alternately, 12–30 cm long, and are pinnate, with 9–17 leaflets, the leaflets 3–6 cm long, with a sharply serrated margin. The flowers are 2–3 cm in diameter, with five white petals, and are produced in erect panicles 10–20 cm long in mid spring. The fruit is an oval leathery capsule 5–6 cm diameter, which splits into three sections at maturity to release the 6–18 seeds; the seeds are black, 1.5 cm in diameter, resembling a small horse chestnut seed.

          Trees deciduous, to 20 m tall. leaf blade abaxially pale green, adaxially deep green, 10-20 × 11-25 cm, usually broader than long, papery, primary veins 5, prominent abaxially, impressed adaxially, shallowly 5-lobed, base cordate, abaxially very densely pubescent on veins and veinlets, adaxially glabrous. Flowers hermaphroditic, yellow-green. Sepals 5, yellow-green, ovate-oblong, ca. 4.5 × 4 mm, glabrous. Petals 5, yellow-green, ovate, base narrow.

          Trees, deciduous, to 20 m tall. Bark grayish brown or blackish brown; young branches green, glabrous. Leaves with petiole 25-45 cm or longer, axis slightly flat, grooved adaxially, glabrous or pilosulose; leaflets 5-8 pairs, usually subopposite. Inflorescences terminal, conical. Flowers actinomorphic, small. Pedicels very short.