Lycium barbarum

The freshly picked fruits of Lycium barbarum will give you many health benefits. Amazing and colourful, the gently arching branches produce scented purple blooms in May and June, much loved by pollinators. In August and September, the berries which follow mature to orange-red and are ready to be picked, with a fruity taste. Native to China, where it is an important commercial crop, it is known commonly in the UK as Duke of Argyll's Tea Tree. Home grown Goji berries have become a welcome addition to both the garden and as a 'super' food for you to enjoy. Each berry contains vitamin A, B, C and E as well as antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and polysaccharides. Science has shown that if the berries are not fresh, much of the goodness is destroyed through processing. So, grow your own Goji berries, eat them from the plant, use them in cooking or blend them into a juice, because your newly picked fresh berries will still have all the goodness contained within. Growing to a mature height and spread of up to 3m, the RHS have classified Lycium barbarum as H5, so will cope with temperatures down to -15 C. When mature one plant should produce around 1kg of berries.