Goji Berry: A Fruit That's Grown in Our Garden for Years, and I'm Still Not Convinced

Scientific Identity

Goji berry belongs to the genus Lycium, and the one in our garden is Lycium chinense. It's part of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), related to tomatoes, eggplant and peppers. That relation isn't a coincidence, it actually explains the taste I'll describe below.

Permaculture Value

The plant itself isn't bad from a permaculture angle. It's a very tough shrub that needs almost no care, handles both drought and cold well. Its branches are thorny and dense enough to work as a hedge plant, and the flowers attract bees. So it has a place in the garden, just not necessarily as a fruit crop.

Edible / Medicinal Properties

Goji berries are marketed as a "superfood" everywhere, mostly in dried form. Our experience with the fresh fruit doesn't quite match that marketing. Expecting something sweet, we got a taste closer to bitter, almost peppery. Given it's in the nightshade family, that actually makes sense. Personally, I wouldn't call it an enjoyable fruit to eat fresh.

How to Grow It

Growing it is genuinely easy, that's not the issue. It's not picky about soil and barely needs watering. Our real problem is yield: the plant has been in the garden for years and every season it sets very little fruit, most branches stay bare. Plant it somewhere sunny and be patient, we're still waiting ourselves.

From the Garden

Honestly, goji berry isn't my favorite plant in the garden. It's been growing for years, it's easy to care for, but the yield is low and the taste never convinced me. You can keep it as a tough, decorative shrub, but if you plant it expecting abundant or tasty fruit, you might end up disappointed like I did.