I promised an update on my Goji Berry, Goji berry plant, and Goji berries experimentation. At first, I became interested in the Goji berry for my own health. In the last two years I have had most of my spine rebuilt. Healing from this massive amount of surgery was very hard on my body and mental health. The last two surgeries were in the late winter so I am still in massive healing mode. In addition, I am not impressed with commercial foods for pets. Any pet food. So I am always looking for better ways to improve and supplement their diet.

The Goji berry is also called the wolfberry (Chinese Lycium ).

The Goji berry is a super food for humans, many exotic pets, and of course birds. I doubt if there is a singular food that is more pack full of nutrition than this incredible - edible berry! The cool part. Both the berry and the foliage are edible!

Goji berries are pack full of nutrients, not only antioxidants like other berries. One example of a berry high in antioxidants would be the blueberry. Other nutritional qualities would be 21 essential minerals, 15% protein (very high for any plant food), and 18 amino acids. They are also very high in iron!

Many studies have been done on the Goji berry or Wolfberry (Chinese Lycium ), they give you a feeling of well-being, helps with a feeling of calmness, enhances the quality of sleep, immune system protection, prevent heart disease, protects against cancer, protects against Alzheimer's and other diseases related to age. In fact, they do slow down the actual aging process. They protect or help vision. These berries have a high vitamin A content and also phytonutrient anti-oxidants lutein and zeaxanthin all of which helps with healthy eyes. These same nutrients aid in a healthy nervous system They also have more vitamin C than any other food. They contain other major vitamins B1, B2, B6 and vitamin E.
You hear a lot now a-days about probiotics which keep a natural balance of organisms (microflora) in the intestines. The Goji has Lycium barbarum polysaccharides provide an excellent food source for these good intestinal bacteria.

The Goji is the only food that helps stimulate human growth hormones (HGH) because the Goji has high levels of sesquiterpenoids. Add a little exercise and ta-da a new body!

There is little evidence that the supplements being sold have the same benefits as the Goji berry and foliage.

Goji's can interact with some blood thinners like warfarin, these berries will thin the blood. I had been on warfarin after I got a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) a blood clot in my inner thigh after one of my back surgeries. I no longer take a blood thinner just because of expense so now I use strictly Goji berries to thin my blood somewhat as a preventative measure against blood clots.

Last year I planted two Goji bushes. Since I live in South Dakota I was concerned that I would have trouble growing them here. They grow into beautiful plants producing quite a few berries the first year. I used the berries and the foliage in our food and our pets food. The big test was going to be the plant surviving our harsh winters and this was one seriously harsh winter. In fact, just last week we had sleet, rain, snow, hail, ice pellets, and freezing rain all in one day and then the sun came out. We had a couple of days of 70 degree weather and had snow in the forecast again today. But, darn it missed us by one county and is heading to Minnesota and east.

I was out weeding yesterday around the berry bushes and found leaf buds on the Goji berry bushes. Many of the buds were already leafing out. I also noticed new bushes forming a foot or two away from the plant. So that answers my question if the original two plants would spread increasing my berry yields.

Here are Goji images on the second year plants



Here are Goji pictures of the first year growing the plants Pictures of the Goji Berries

Pictures of the Goji berry blossom (pretty little things aren't they?)


I would say my experimentation with the Goji berry and plant were a complete success. I am eager to feed my exotic pets and birds, and my family these healthy superfoods. I know they are free of chemicals because I have grown them myself.

Buy a couple of plants and grow them in your yard. You will be doing yourself, your family and your exotic pets a huge favor. These plants are beautiful and will enhance any yard!

We have enjoy our berries fresh (wonderful in salads), baked into various recipes, dried like a raisin, juiced, any way you would eat a berry. The cool thing is using the new leaves and shoots - just as editable as the berry. This is truly an all purpose plant - all usable!

Buy Goji berry plants here just click on the picture.
1 gal. TIBETAN GOJI BERRY plant Wolfberry The SUPERFRUIT Chinese Lycium I would strongly suggest starting with the 1 gal.plants.




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