Sweet Lifeberry® Goji Plant

Not in my limited experience. I planted the "sweet" and "big" cultivars in my yard this past spring and both were nommed to the ground multiple times. I'm assuming the neighborhood deer got them.

Eventually I wrapped them with chicken wire and I'm impressed that they've come back as well as they have. The sweet cultivar actually popped some berries this past week, I'm really hoping they ripen before the first frost!

They wouldn't cross pollinate and, even if they did, the results would be in the seeds not the fruit. Both capsicum (peppers) and gojis are in the Solanaceae (nightshade) family, so what you're picking up may simply be some similarities in flavor. I've eaten gojis fresh that tasted a little like tomatoes and a little like peppers. Gojis take on their own sweet, distinct taste when dried though!

Hi Mona,
well to answer your question yes and no. Yes, because eventually the goji berries i have grown will spread new shoots close to the stem. No, because it is not as invasive and doesnt spread as fast. I like to use a tomato cage or trellis to support the vertical growth and cut back new shoots to develop a stronger stalk.

In zone 7 they are deciduous.

Our soil is basic clay but I have added a lot of mulch chips mixed in to it. Average Indiana rainfall and I watered several times when I first planted them. I have them in partial shade - meaning, from 9am to 3 pm they get direct hot sun, but then it goes in shade and they are cooler. They are drought resistant once they are well rooted. Mine is getting super bushy right now and I only water it 1-2x a month. We are having an extremely hot, dry "spring" which is looking more like August hot summer. Hope that helps!

Funny you should ask! 80% of the plant does not - they are not like raspberries or blackberries that way. But when you least expect there are a couple of them on the plant! Not a big deal when you are picking and you have to look for them. But there are a few of them.

I have two goji plants doing well, both getting direct sunlight from about 11 am on.The on growing in a hugelkultur-type raised bed is doing the best. Both are heavily mulched with compost and wood chips.

The berries I get are about the size of raisins.

Make sure you are fertilizing and doing light pruning each season as this encourages growth. I also recommend checking your soil PH to be sure it is between 7.0-8

We appreciate you reaching out to us. You can find the years-to-bear information in the Characteristics section, near the top of the page, underneath the description. This tree takes 3-7 years to bear. Currently only offered in a 1 quart pot so they are 6 months to 1 year old plants.

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!