This is the fifth post in a new series, in which @papa-pepper will share about different plants that they plan on growing on the homestead, and why.

---

Our fifth featured plant is the Goji Berry, and we even have two kinds already started!

GOJI BERRY VIDEO

BACKGROUND

IN more recent years, the Goji Berry has made a name for itself as a "superfood" with incredibly properties. They can now be found at health food stores all over the place. Originally from Asia, the dried fruit, and sometimes even the plants, can now be found worldwide.

PLANT INFO

The Goji Berry plant is a type of shrub that can look like a vine. It is drought tolerant and can live for years. It takes a few years to start bearing fruit if it is grown from seed, but I say that it is worth the wait. We have grown some successfully from seed and they have overwintered well here in northern Arkansas.

The claimed USDA growing zones vary, but I think that it is not unrealistic to claim zones 6-9 being good areas. The plants prefer full sun, but can tolerate some shade. It seems that in extreme heat, some varieties will lose most of their leaves, but thankfully not die. A few times we though that we had lost ours, but it always kept growing.

OTHER INFO

When it comes to health and nutrition, the Goji Berry is a very nutritious berry most notably high in Vitamin A and Copper. They are high in antioxidants and may help boost the immune system too. Another use for them is making tea, which is less common in certain areas.

The leaves and young shoots are also edible and can be used as a cooked green. Since the raw berries do not last long, you will usually only find dried berries for sale, unless someone near you actually grows the plants themselves.

PROPAGATION

Interestingly enough, you can actually grow these wonderful plants from the seeds that the dried berries have inside of them, depending on the drying method used to dehydrate the berries. I have planted single seeds, while other steemians like @kepo777 suggest just planting the whole berry.

Additionally, these plants can be propagated from cuttings. I recently met a man who is growing multiple varieties, including one which called a "Korean Goji Berry." This variety seems to be more heat tolerant, and he has been propagating them from cuttings.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

With the "price on the street" for dried Goji Berries often being almost $20 USD per pound, they may not fit into everyone's food budget. This is why we prefer to grow whatever we can at home, Goji Berries included.

With two varieties already growing, we are excited about the potential. I honestly would not mind have many of these plants growing on our homestead one day.

It is nice to see that even small, young plants can produce something to eat, and it was amazing to check out the much larger, mature plants at my friend's house. The Korean ones that he has apparently have two crops per year, with the second one being the better of the two. His plants had hundreds of berries on each of them, and they had recently harvested some too! I can't wait!

---

All photos, video, and writing are original, but some research was done at this website and here also.

IN CASE YOU MISSED MY PREVIOUS VIDEOS FROM THIS SERIES

As always, I'm @papa-pepper and here's the proof:

proof-of-goji-berry-plant

---

---

Until next time…

Don’t waste your time online, invest it with steemit.com

GIF provided by @malos10

---

TO TRANSLATE POSTS VIA OPERATION TRANSLATION CLICK HERE