The present work aims to provide references for differentiated nutrient management of litchi cultivars, and enhance the cultivation promotion of the new quality cultivars via clarifying the differences in nutrient content, nutrient transfer capacity and nutrient accumulation in different parts of litchi fruits among the main and the new quality cultivars in South China. A total of 73 litchi fruit samples belonging to 25 main and new quality litchi cultivars were collected from 29 litchi orchards in South China. The contents of 12 nutrients in pericarp, flesh and kernel of litchi fruits were determined to compare the discrepancies in nutrient transfer and accumulation among cultivars. Further, the types of nutrient accumulation in litchi fruit were categorized through cluster analysis. The results show that, most cultivars of litchi had the highest K content in the pericarp and the flesh, whereas the highest N content were observed in the kernel. The average transfer factors of P, S, Fe, Cu and Zn from pericarp to kernel ranged from 1.09 to 1.58, with strong transfer ability. N, K, Mg, B and Mo had medium transfer ability, with the average transfer factors within 0.53-0.99. The average transfer factor of Ca and Mn was only 0.35 and 0.481 respectively, with relative low transfer capability. With regard to the transfer capability from pericarp to flesh, N, K, Mg, S, Fe, Zn, B and Mo were figured by average transfer factors of 0.49-0.87, and Cu and P by high average transfer factors (5.91 and 1.32). However, Ca and Mn were characterized by extremely low average transfer factors of 0.069 and 0.112, respectively. Among the 25 cultivars, the content of Ca, Mg and Mn in Xiantaoli peel was higher than that of all the other cultivars, which was 6.13 g/kg, 3.34 g/kg and 233.52 mg/kg, respectively. Moreover, the ability of the three elements transferring from peel to kernel or flesh was lower than that of all the other cultivars, leading to excess accumulation in the peel. The requirement of N and K in 25 litchi cultivars was categorized into seven types: low N and high K, medium N and low K, medium N and medium K, medium N and high K, high N and low K, high N and medium K, high N and high K. The accumulation of Ca, Mg, B and Mo was divided into three groups including the low-, medium- and high-types, respectively. Ca and Mn were difficult to transfer in litchi fruit, being an obstacle to the development of litchi fruit. Conclusively, the nutrient accumulation of litchi fruit is cultivar dependent, therefore, elaborate nutrient strategy for litchi can be made to meet the nutrient demand for fruit development. The fertilization strategy for the new quality varieties of litchi can be referred to the traditional cultivars belonging to the same nutrient requirement type.