Has it ever happened to you where you buy numerous plants from a nursery, arrive home, put them in the ground as soon as you are able, and after some time has passed, you forget what plants you planted, and instead of removing them, you wait until they mature, hoping that the plant will reveal itself to you?  

 

This has happened to me at least twice.

 

One such plant identified itself this summer.  For at least 2 years while this plant was in the ground, it looked like a listless, scraggly weed.  This year, the mystery of this plant was resolved when it started to bear small red fruit to remind me of what it is that I bought years earlier--to my delight, a goji berry plant aka wolfberry whose scientific name is Lycium barbarum.  After I figured out what this plant was, I started to research more on its growth habit and needs (which I did when I first bought the plant, but any memory from that time, has long since passed).  The ease of care reminded of why I bought this plant. Gojis can grow either in containers or in the ground.  Gojis planted in the garden may grow as high as 10' tall and 4' - 8' wide.   Those grown in containers are smaller, as their growth habit is controlled by the depth of the pot the goji is planted in (i.e., the height of the bush will cease to increase once the roots reach the bottom of the container).  

 

Gojis are not particularly fussy and will adapt to most climates.  They prefer soil with a pH between 6.8 – 8.1.  In addition to being rich in nutrients, gojis are also drought tolerant and self-fruiting.  And best of all, fresh goji berries are very tasty--they are not overly sweet and pop in your mouth like candy.  

 

Gojis are commonly known as being a nutritionally dense superfood, so why now grow some of your own?  Plants are not nearly as hard to come by today as they once were.  I have even seen Gojis sold in large box stores in the spring and summer months.  If you buy one, unlike me, remember to label it because it will take a few years before it starts to produce.  Happy Gardening!