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A Few Facts about the Goji Berry Plant
There is a great rush and demand created in the international markets for goji berries. It is surprising that this unassuming small, red raisin can demand a price of $30-50 per pound while people are frantic to include it in their diets. When you look closely, you will find that this minuscule berry packs all the goodness required for the functioning of a human body.
What Do We Know about the Goji Berry Plant?
The goji berry plant is normally grown in Tibet, Mongolia and parts of China. This wonder plant should not be confused with that they call the wolfberry plant. These two plants look similar and have similar fruits, but while the goji berry plant bears sweet and juicy fruits, the wolfberry is slightly bitter and dry in taste. Few people however, know about this basic difference and in many places in the world, the wolfberry is sold as a goji berry.
The goji berry plant is a very hardy plant that will adapt to almost any type of soil and climate. This plant was found to fight extremes of cold and heat such as -15 degrees Fahrenheit in winter and above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. Though the goji berry plant thrives in well-drained soil, it will grow okay in other types of soil as well. This plant loves the sun and it will always give you a better yield if planted in full sunlight. The only detrimental factor in the well-being of the goji berry plant is wet and soggy soil conditions.
The plant grows slowly and it will start bearing fruit from the second year onwards. However, it will reach its full capacity at the age of four to five years. At this time, it can reach up to eight to ten feet tall. The flowers of the goji berry plant are usually of two colors, purple and white and they flower together on one tree. The flowers become fruit in the course of the late summer and you will be able to see the beautiful bright red berries all over the plant.
The fresh goji berries are exceptionally sweet and tasty. However, they cannot be touched by hand, as they immediately become oxidized and turn black because of that. This is why, the goji berries are harvested by shaking the plant and collecting the berries on a mat, or by collecting them with the help of sterile gloves.
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