Red goji (Lycium barbarum) - seeds

A packet of 20 Lycium barbarum seeds, extracted from ripe berries. They are flat, pale and tiny, like those of the tomato, to which the plant is related.

This is an easy sowing, contrary to what the relative rarity of plants might suggest. Sow in spring on the surface or under 2 to 3 mm of fine compost, at 18 to 22 °C, keeping it moist. Germination occurs within one to three weeks, and is generally good.

Prick out into small pots at the two true leaf stage, then plant out in autumn or the following spring, in full sun and well-drained soil. Allow plenty of space: a single plant spreads widely.

A shrub 1.5 to 3 m tall, with long, arching, flexible stems, often thorny, which droop unless trained. Small, pale violet, star-shaped flowers from June to September, followed by glossy, oblong, orange to bright red berries that ripen in succession until the frosts.

It is very hardy, to about -20 °C, and tolerates chalky soil, drought once established, wind and sea spray. It is an undemanding plant whose main dislike is stagnant moisture at its base. Annual pruning of old stems encourages fruiting, which takes place on the current year's wood.

They are eaten fresh, picked ripe, or dried as they are found in shops. Fresh, they are much less sweet than dried and keep a characteristic slight bitterness. Drying concentrates the sugars and gives the soft texture of the berries sold in packets. In China, the young shoots are also eaten as a leaf vegetable.

How long before the first berries?
Two to three years from sowing, sometimes four. Fruiting becomes truly generous from the fourth or fifth year.

Do you need two plants to get fruit?
No, the species is self-fertile. Two plants will nevertheless increase the yield.

Is it invasive?
It suckers, and its stems layer easily where they touch the ground. On a bank this is an advantage; in a small border it needs watching.

What is the difference from black goji?
Black goji is a different species, Lycium ruthenicum, with black, spherical berries, much thornier and adapted to the salt steppes of Central Asia.

Also worth exploring: black goji, and our full range of seeds from around the world.