Goji berry care

*Lycium barbarum* -- goji berry, also called wolfberry -- is a member of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) native to China and adjacent regions. It produces small, elongated, bright-red berries that have been part of Chinese traditional medicine for centuries. The plant was introduced to North.

Lycium barbarum — goji berry, also called wolfberry — is a member of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) native to China and adjacent regions. It produces small, elongated, bright-red berries that have been part of Chinese traditional medicine for centuries. The plant was introduced to North American gardens primarily on the basis of health claims associated with antioxidant content; the scientific evidence supporting specific health claims is mixed, but the berries are edible, reasonably productive, and straightforward to grow.

I don't grow goji at my zone 7a Long Island site. This guide is sourced from NC State Extension and Utah State University Extension.

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Identification

Per NC State Extension, L. barbarum is an arching, sometimes thorny shrub reaching 4-8 feet in height (taller with support). Leaves are simple, small, gray-green. Small purple flowers (similar to tomato-family flowers) in summer; berries ripen from green through yellow to bright red in late summer-fall. L. chinense (Chinese wolfberry) is a closely related species with similar culture and use.