Goji Berry
Goji Berry
Location on Farm:
Regular price
$6500
$65.00
Sale price$4900
$49.00
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🌱 Planting Installation
Goji Berry, also known as Wolfberry, is a hardy, fast-growing deciduous perennial shrub in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) celebrated for its nutrient-rich "superfood" fruit and arching growth habit. Native to Asia, particularly China, this woody shrub features long, flexible canes lined with light green to pale blue-green, lanceolate leaves and slender, sharp thorns. Beginning in late spring and continuing through summer, the plant produces an abundance of small, trumpet-shaped purple-to-lavender flowers. These blossoms develop into bright orange-red to deep scarlet oblong berries that ripen continuously from mid-summer until the first hard freeze, offering a sweet, slightly tangy flavor profile reminiscent of a cross between a cranberry and a tomato.
In home orchards and edible landscapes, Goji Berry grows as a sprawling, vine-like shrub, reaching five to ten feet in height with a four to eight-foot spread. Because its long, slender canes naturally arch toward the ground under the weight of foliage and fruit, it is frequently trained onto a fence, garden trellis, or wire system much like a climbing rose or blackberry. It can also be pruned annually into a tidy, freestanding bush. Beyond its agricultural value, its dense branching and root-suckering habit make it an effective bank stabilizer and informal fruiting hedge.
Culturally, Goji Berry is exceptionally resilient, thriving across USDA Zones 5a through 9b and enduring winter cold down to -20°F as well as scorching summer heat. It demands full sun exposure (six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily) for maximum flowering and heavy berry yields. It is remarkably adaptable to poor, rocky, sandy, or highly alkaline soils, provided drainage is excellent; soggy, waterlogged roots are its primary weakness. Once established, it exhibits superior drought tolerance and minimal fertility requirements. While the fresh, delicate berries are often harvested for drying, freezing, or eating straight off the vine, the plant itself requires simple annual dormant pruning to maintain its shape and boost fruiting spur production.
| Scientific Name | Lycium barbarum (syn. Lycium chinense / Wolfberry) |
| Foliage: Deciduous |
Deciduous woody perennial shrub; loose, sprawling, arching cane habit (often grown like a vine on a trellis) Leaves: Lanceolate to elliptic, 1–3 inches long; light green to pale blue-green; smooth margins; arranged alternate or in clusters along long, slightly thorny canes. Flowers: Small, 1/2-inch, star/trumpet-shaped blossoms; purple to lavender with white throats; bloom continuously from late spring through summer. Fruit: Small, oblong to ellipsoid, bright orange-red to deep scarlet berries (0.5–1 inch long); tender, juicy skin with a sweet, slightly tangy/herbal nightshade flavor. Seeds: Tiny, flat, yellow-brown seeds embedded inside the flesh (typically 10–60 small seeds per berry); edible. Bark: Light brown to gray-white; rough, fibrous, and slightly furrowed on mature canes; branches bear small, sharp axillary thorns |
| Life Span: Perennial | 15–30+ years |
| Mature Height | 5–10 ft (Can be trained taller on a trellis or pruned into a compact bush) |
| Mature Width (Spread) | 4–8 ft (Spreads via arching canes and underground root suckers) |
| Growth Rate | Fast (3–5 ft per year once established) |
| USDA Zone / Chill Hours | Zones 5a–9b (Extremely cold-hardy down to -15°F to -20°F / -26°C to -28°C); Low chill requirements (~100–300 chill hours) |
PLANT CARE & CHARACTERISTICS
Light Requirements: Full Sun (Requires 6–8+ hours of direct sunlight daily for heavy blossom set and fruit production).
Water Requirements: Low to Moderate; keep moist during the first year; highly drought-tolerant once established.
Drought Resistance: Exceptional once fully established.
Soil Type: Highly adaptable; thrives in poor, sandy, loamy, or alkaline soils; pH 6.5–8.2; requires well-draining soil (intolerant of soggy, wet roots). Fertilize Goji berry plants annually in early spring with a balanced fertilizer to provide essential nutrients for healthy growth and fruiting.
Deer Resistance: Moderate to High (Thorny stems and nightshade foliage discourage heavy browsing, though tender young spring shoots may be nibbled).
Pest / Disease Resistance: Highly resistant to drought and poor soils; susceptible to powdery mildew in high humidity with poor airflow, as well as spider mites, aphids, and birds.
Pollination: Self-fertile (Does not require a second plant, but planting multiple bushes increases fruit yield and size via insect/wind pollination).
Harvest: Begins in mid-to-late summer and continues until the first hard autumn freeze (typically July through October); harvest berries when fully red.
Yield: Heavy. 2–6 lbs of fresh berries per mature bush starting in years 2–3.
Storage / Shelf Life: Fresh berries are delicate and last 3–5 days refrigerated; commonly dried (dehydrated) for months of shelf life or frozen.
Pruning: Prune in late winter while dormant. Remove suckers, deadwood, and low branches within 15 inches of the ground. Top the main lateral canes at 4–5 ft during summer to encourage branching and maximize fruiting spurs.
