Accession Count: 12
Common Name:
wolfberry, desert thorn
Family Name:
Solanaceae (Shade Night family)
Botanical Name:
Lycium fremontii
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Lycium fremontii, also known as tomatillo, wolfberry or Mexican wolfberry, is a desert green shrub within the Solanaceae family that is native to the Sonoran Desert. This versatile species tolerates mildly acidic to strongly alkaline soils, grows below 3000 feet elevation and occasionally is found up to 6000 feet above sea level. This plant has a heavy canopy which is ideal and inviting for many animal species. It can grow moderately to a height of 10 feet and a width of 8 feet (1). It is drought deciduous, blooming between February and March (2). This plant is also cold deciduous, which means that it will drop its leaves during cold periods to better survive, in addition it will exhibit this behavior in times of high drought (drought deciduous). Under these circumstances the plant is unattractive and bare, therefore it may be ideal to plant away from common areas.The wolfberry has green, oval shaped leaves with an alternate arrangement. These leaves are fleshy and three-quarters of an inch by one-fourth of an inch. The wolfberry is also a winter evergreen meaning it keeps its’ leaves throughout the winter. Flowers appear during two seasons, from February through May and from August through December.
Compound:
Lyc fre
Geographic Origin:
Sonoran Desert
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
L. fremontii is a from the nightshade family, Solanaceae, This flowering plant originate in the Sonoran Desert and is native to northwestern Mexico and the deserts of California and Arizona in the United States between 3000 and 6000 ft elevation (2, 3).
Cultivation Notes:
L. fremontii has a moderate growth rate and requires very little water. It grows well in fully sunny locations. Suited for USDA zones 9a-10b. This species is propagated by seed (1). It should be planted in soils with good drainage, however in better quality soils its appearance is improved (1). Though it tolerates long dry periods as an adult, it should be watered once or twice a season (5).
Ethnobotany:
Indigenous people ate fruits fresh, mashed, dried, or juiced and made a sauce with flour and water (3,4). Among the tribes known to rely on the wolfberry are the Hiá ced O’ohdam and Tohono O’odham, Pima, Maricopa, Mohave, Quechan, and Cocopa peoples (5). For some tribes, the importance of these fruits goes beyond their diet as Wolfberries have been recorded as having ceremonial significance and medicinal use as a painkiller (5). This thorny shrub provides a perfect habitat for many desert creatures. Birds are especially fond of the dense thickets of growth. The small flowers and berries of this plant attract insect and bird pollinators, including hummingbirds. It produces reddish orange fruits about the size of a pea, which are edible by wildlife and humans alike.
Height:
6 - 10 feet
Width:
6 - 10 feet
Growth Rate:
Grow Season:
Summer
Flower Season:
Spring
Color:
Lavender
Function:
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
Citations:
- Mielke, Judy. Native Plants for Southwestern Landscapes. University of Texas Press, 1993.
- ucjeps.berkeley.edu
- Phillips, Steven J. and Comus, Patricia Wentworth. A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert. Tucson: Arizona‐Sonora Desert Museum Press, 2000. Print
- Warren, Jones and Sacamano, Charles. Landscape Plants for Dry Regions. Cambridge, MA. Fisher Books, 2000. Print.
- Hodgson, Wendy C. Food Plants of the Sonoran Desert. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2001. Print
