Goji berry 50+ seeds {Lycium chinense} Heirloom NON-GMO | Edible| Medicinal | Drought Tolerant | Free Shipping!

 

Common Name: Chinese desert-thorn  

Type: Deciduous shrub

Family: Solanaceae

Zone: 6 to 9

Height: 3.00 to 6.00 feet

Spread: 3.00 to 10.00 feet

Bloom Time: May to August

Bloom Description: Light purple

Sun: Full sun

Water: Medium

Maintenance: Medium

Suggested Use: Hedge, Naturalize

Flower: Showy

Attracts: Birds

Fruit: Showy, Edible

Other: Thorns

Tolerate: Drought, Erosion

Garden locations

Culture

Grow in moderately fertile, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Plants

tolerate some light shade. Established plants tolerate some drought. May be grown 

from seed. Where winter hardy, this shrub will naturalize by self seeding 

(sometimes aggressively) and by suckering. Stems may be pruned back to 2' tall in 

late winter each year to keep plants at a reasonable size with less sprawling. If 

grown for fruit production, branches may be attached to a trellis to facilitate harvest.

 

Noteworthy Characteristics

Lycium chinense, commonly called Chinese matrimony vine, Chinese boxthorn, Goji berry 

and Chinese wolfberry, is a vine-like, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub with sprawling 

branches that typically grows to 3-6' (sometimes to 12') tall. Occasional thorns appear 

on the stems. It is native to slopes, roadsides, disturbed areas and wastelands in southern 

China. Ovate, rhombic, elliptic or lanceolate leaves (to 1-3" long) are bright green. Small, 

tubular, pale purple to lavender flowers bloom in spring on stalks rising from the leaf axils. 

Bright red berries (Goji berries) are about 7/8" long and mature in fall. Ripe berries are edible 

(sweet licorice flavor). Berries (fresh or dried), young shoots and leaves are used in oriental 

cooking. Berries are used to make an herbal tea. Berries are dried for herbal use (China 

reportedly produces over 5 million kilograms of dried fruit per year). This is a long time 

medicinal plant (leaves, roots and berries)