Jenny's Garden...Plant pictures and gardening descriptions

Lycium barbarum
(Chinese Wolfberry, Duke of Argyll's Tea Tree, Goji Berry, Gou Qi Zi, Matrimony Vine)

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Lycium barbarum seeds

 

Lycium barbarum
(Chinese Wolfberry, Duke of Argyll's Tea Tree, Goji Berry, Gou Qi Zi, Matrimony Vine)

Synonyms:  Lycium Chinese, Lycium halimifolium, Lycium vulgare
Origin:  Himalayans
Family:  Solanaceae
Light:  Part-full sun
Height:  6-10' 
Spread:  4-8'
Blooms:  Bright orangey-red hermaphrodite flowers
Foliage:  Deciduous, smooth-textured, green, alternate, oval/spear-shaped with rounded tips
Fruits:  Small, oblong, red berry with seeds, licorice-flavored, when fully ripe, are edible.
Soil:  Well-drained, fertile, keep moderately moist (pH: 6.6-7.5, neutral)
Propagation:  Seeds (Sow early Spring), suckers (divide in late Winter), woody stem cuttings (done in Spring)
Caution:  Plant is thorny, wear gloves
Comments: 
Lycium barbarum or Chinese Wolfberry or Duke of Argyll's Tea Tree or Goji Berry or Gou Qi Zi or Matrimony Vine or Lycium Chinese or Lycium halimifolium or Lycium vulgare is a woody perennial shrub pollinated by bees.  The young shoots of this plant are edible when cooked; pinch them to promote bushier growth.  Chinese Wolfberry can tolerate temperature as low as -15 degrees F.  Goji Berry can be grown as a hedge plant or grown against a wall.  Prune shrub to maintain shape and size.  Duke of Argyll's Tea Tree spreads by suckering;  these suckers can be easily removed removed and planted in a permanent location.  Matrimony Vine berries are very tender so when harvesting, carefully shake the plant so the berries would fall into a catch tray.  The dried Gojiberry seeds are renowned for their antioxidant properties and are popularly used in traditional Chinese medicine to improve vision and overall good health;  they are boiled and cooked in soup.
USDA Hardiness Zones :  6-9