Goji Berry — Lycium barbarum

Why I grow it

I have a particular fondness for plants that earn their place in the garden in more than one way.

Goji berry is a lovely example — a perennial fruiting shrub with slender branches, small purple flowers and bright red-orange berries.

I love the idea of growing ingredients that we usually only see dried in packets, particularly when the plant itself can become a permanent part of an edible garden.

At a glance

Type: Deciduous perennial fruiting shrub
Variety: Goji Berry — Lycium barbarum
Growth: Arching, sometimes sprawling shrub, potentially 1.5–3 m tall
Flowers: Small purple flowers
Fruit: Small, elongated red-orange berries
Good for: Edible gardens, perennial planting and home-grown berries
Inventory: 5 plants

In the garden

Goji berry makes an interesting addition to a perennial food garden.

Its arching branches can be trained against a support or managed as a shrub, and its flowers are followed by colourful berries when growing conditions are suitable.

It's worth giving this one a permanent position with room to develop, rather than squeezing it between seasonal vegetables.

It can spread through suckering in favourable conditions, so I'd keep an eye on where new shoots appear.

In the kitchen

Ripe goji berries can be eaten fresh, although their flavour is quite different from the sweet dried berries commonly sold in shops.

They're also used dried, in teas, soups and cooked dishes.

The berries should be fully ripe before eating, and only correctly identified edible fruit should be harvested. Avoid eating unripe berries or other parts of the plant.

Care

Full sun to light partial shade and well-drained soil.

Water regularly while establishing. Once established, plants can tolerate some dry conditions, although regular moisture helps support fruit production.

Prune to control size, encourage branching and remove tangled or damaged stems.

Goji berries are generally hardy once established, but young plants benefit from protection while settling into the garden.

What you’ll receive

One young Goji Berry plant, grown from seed.

As a perennial shrub, this is a plant to establish and grow on rather than expect an immediate harvest from.

Plants naturally vary in size and shape and may be supplied in reused nursery pots or growing bags — perfectly useful plastic doesn't need replacing simply because it doesn't match.