The lychee tree develops a compact crown of foliage that is bright green year-round. The leaves are compound, composed of two to four pairs of elliptic to lanceolate leaflets that are 50–75 mm (2–3 inches) long. The flowers, small and inconspicuous, are borne in loose diverse terminal clusters, or panicles, sometimes 30 cm (12 inches) in length. The fruits are oval to round, strawberry-red in colour, and about 25 mm (1 inch) in diameter. The brittle outer covering encloses a translucent white fleshy aril and one large seed.