Wolfberries: As Good As It Can Get
Raspberries are really good, blueberries are even better, and pomegranate ranks near the top of the list of antioxidant rich plants. Acai, which is indigenous to the Amazon rain forest, also has its merits, but none of these can compete with wolfberries as the perfect backyard superfood. As you read through this article, I think you will see what I mean.
A Little Background
Goji, wolfberry, Lycium barbarum, Lycium chinense, boxthorn, English Teaberry, and Matrimony Vine are all names given to plants currently marketed in the United States. All of these names refer to plants in the genus Lycium, of which there are not only many species, but as in the case of Lycium barbarum, many varieties, just as there are many varieties of raspberries and blueberries. Goji, or gou qi zi, is the most commonly used label, but really is no more descriptive than labeling all people as humans. My preference for a common name is wolfberry. First, it sounds more American, and second, I like the story from Chinese tradition, that the dominant male wolf maintained his lead by eating wolfberries. Also, my dog loves them too.
In the garden, wolfberries can be grown much like grapes or raspberries. Vines on a trellis will fill in all the spaces between plants in a row, or they can be pruned with a central leader, trunk, and then topped at eye level. This method results in a canopy of shorter vines that require no other support. Fruit is produced on first year growth, so pruning is important. My largest yields are produced on two-year-old plants that are only three to four feet tall. Rows should be spaced at least four feet apart. Plants started as select bare rootstock produce wonderful crops the following summer. The drawback is that you need to get on your knees to pick the fruit.
In the garden, wolfberries can be grown much like grapes or raspberries. Vines on a trellis will fill in all the spaces between plants in a row, or they can be pruned with a central leader, trunk, and then topped at eye level. This method results in a canopy of shorter vines that require no other support. Fruit is produced on first year growth, so pruning is important. My largest yields are produced on two-year-old plants that are only three to four feet tall. Rows should be spaced at least four feet apart. Plants started as select bare rootstock produce wonderful crops the following summer. The drawback is that you need to get on your knees to pick the fruit.
Plants that are three or more years old send out root side shoots, much like raspberries do. These may be dug up to start new plants or used as a vegetable. They should be removed to prevent taking over the entire path area. Wolfberry plants can be invasive.
Nutrient values change slightly as fruit ripens from orange to bright red. I pick a mixture of ripe and less ripe fruit. Berries are best picked individually, removing the fruit with a twist to the side rather than pulling. In this way most fruit stems stay on the vines.
Place picked fruit in a container of cold water. Stem and leaf material can then easily be removed. Wash gently and drain. Fresh fruit can be stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Fruit for freezing is put in bags and placed in the freezer. Fruit for drying spends three days in the dehydrator at 105 degrees.
Leaves and young stems can be harvested throughout the growing season. Stems for vegetable use should be totally green and show no woodiness. Leaves can be picked and used fresh or dried. Dried stems, leaves, and fruit can all be powdered in a blender. I use the dry container of my Vita Mix blender to powder the herbs. This premium superfood takes up very little storage space.
Buyer Beware
As stated earlier, all wolfberries are not created equal. The English Teaberry variety found in Utah was brought here by Mormon pioneers from England. These plants produce lots of leaves but not much fruit. One Colorado grower of a different variety reports that fruit on his plants tend to fall off before fully ripe. Other varieties, such as those grown at Phoenix Tears Nursery, hold their fruit, if not picked, until they dry on the vine. Late fall berries remaining after heavy frosts are eaten by birds. Winter hardiness also varies with plant variety. Many are hardy only to hardiness zone 5.
Another variable is thorniness. Chinense is thornier than barbarum, but all varieties produce some thorns on older growth. Most varieties have no thorns on first year growth, suggesting that pruning is the key to having thornless plants. Berry size, quality and quantity are also variety dependent. These production factors may also be influenced by soil type, climate and watering.
Before buying plants for either fruit or leaves, the buyer should determine the genetic origin of the plants and their nutrient profile. Most Internet plant sellers often obtain this information from some publication or from a USDA file. Few vendors conduct tests on their own plants, so when they say their fruit has an ORAC value of 105 they may be getting that information from general data on wolfberries, not from their own testing specific to their own plants. Even more questionable are the health claims made for many products. So buyer beware.
As Good As It Gets
Ask Li Qing Yuen what he thinks of wolfberries. That would be hard to do as records show that he died in China in 1933. Documents indicate he was born in 1678. You fill in the blanks, but sufficient to say, he knew about wolfberries. They are truly nutrient loaded. Leaves, stems, and fruit would all be of value if their only merit were their antioxidant properties and betaine content, both of which are extremely high in all varieties.
Beyond nutrient value, there is the fact that they will grow in all US climate zones and can be raised in anything from a few gallon containers to, as in Ningxia China, by the thousands of acres. They are drought tolerant, insect pest free, self pollinating, and adaptable to most soil types. The entire plant has food or medicinal value.
For the price of one pound of dried fruit imported from China, you can purchase a deluxe bare root plant that will provide fruit within a year, and will continue to do so for many years. The same plant will also supply leaves and stems for vegetables and tea within a month of planting. If you eventually want to dig your wolfberries up, save the roots, they too are nutrient loaded.
Nutrient values change slightly as fruit ripens from orange to bright red. I pick a mixture of ripe and less ripe fruit. Berries are best picked individually, removing the fruit with a twist to the side rather than pulling. In this way most fruit stems stay on the vines.
Place picked fruit in a container of cold water. Stem and leaf material can then easily be removed. Wash gently and drain. Fresh fruit can be stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Fruit for freezing is put in bags and placed in the freezer. Fruit for drying spends three days in the dehydrator at 105 degrees.
Leaves and young stems can be harvested throughout the growing season. Stems for vegetable use should be totally green and show no woodiness. Leaves can be picked and used fresh or dried. Dried stems, leaves, and fruit can all be powdered in a blender. I use the dry container of my Vita Mix blender to powder the herbs. This premium superfood takes up very little storage space.
Buyer Beware
As stated earlier, all wolfberries are not created equal. The English Teaberry variety found in Utah was brought here by Mormon pioneers from England. These plants produce lots of leaves but not much fruit. One Colorado grower of a different variety reports that fruit on his plants tend to fall off before fully ripe. Other varieties, such as those grown at Phoenix Tears Nursery, hold their fruit, if not picked, until they dry on the vine. Late fall berries remaining after heavy frosts are eaten by birds. Winter hardiness also varies with plant variety. Many are hardy only to hardiness zone 5.
Another variable is thorniness. Chinense is thornier than barbarum, but all varieties produce some thorns on older growth. Most varieties have no thorns on first year growth, suggesting that pruning is the key to having thornless plants. Berry size, quality and quantity are also variety dependent. These production factors may also be influenced by soil type, climate and watering.
Before buying plants for either fruit or leaves, the buyer should determine the genetic origin of the plants and their nutrient profile. Most Internet plant sellers often obtain this information from some publication or from a USDA file. Few vendors conduct tests on their own plants, so when they say their fruit has an ORAC value of 105 they may be getting that information from general data on wolfberries, not from their own testing specific to their own plants. Even more questionable are the health claims made for many products. So buyer beware.
As Good As It Gets
Ask Li Qing Yuen what he thinks of wolfberries. That would be hard to do as records show that he died in China in 1933. Documents indicate he was born in 1678. You fill in the blanks, but sufficient to say, he knew about wolfberries. They are truly nutrient loaded. Leaves, stems, and fruit would all be of value if their only merit were their antioxidant properties and betaine content, both of which are extremely high in all varieties.
Beyond nutrient value, there is the fact that they will grow in all US climate zones and can be raised in anything from a few gallon containers to, as in Ningxia China, by the thousands of acres. They are drought tolerant, insect pest free, self pollinating, and adaptable to most soil types. The entire plant has food or medicinal value.
For the price of one pound of dried fruit imported from China, you can purchase a deluxe bare root plant that will provide fruit within a year, and will continue to do so for many years. The same plant will also supply leaves and stems for vegetables and tea within a month of planting. If you eventually want to dig your wolfberries up, save the roots, they too are nutrient loaded.
