Chinese Boxthorn, Chinese desert-thorn
Lycium chinense
Family: Solanaceae
What it is like
Lycium chinense is one of two species of boxthorn (also Lycium barbarum) from which the goji berry or wolfberry are harvested. Chinese boxthorn is a major Chinese tonic herb with a history of almost 2,000 years of medicinal use. The fruit is cooked in soups or dried for later use. Sweet with an aniseed-like flavour.
Lycium chinense is a deciduous Shrub growing to 2.5 m (8ft) by 2 m (6ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6. It is in flower from June to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.
Height (m): 2.5
Where it is found
Thickets and river banks in lowland C. and S. Japan.
E. Asia - China, Japan. Naturalized in Britain, especially by the sea.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Australia, Canada, China*, France, Hawaii, Indochina, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mediterranean, Nepal, North America, Pacific, Pakistan, Portugal, SE Asia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, USA, Vietnam,
How it is used
Food
Rating: 4
Fruit - raw, cooked in soups etc or dried for later use. Sweet with an aniseed-like flavour. The fruit is an oblong berry about 15mm long by 8mm wid. Only the fully ripe fruits should be eaten. Leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked. A peppermint-like flavour, the leaves are used in salads or used as a potherb. Rich in vitamin A., the leaves also contain about 3.9% protein, 2.25% carbohydrate, 0.7% fat, 1.4% ash. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute. The dried leaves are a tea substitute.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Coffee: the various substitutes that can be used instead of coffee.
Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.
Medicine
Rating: 3
Chinese boxthorn is a major Chinese tonic herb with a history of almost 2,000 years of medicinal use. Both the berries and the root are used and traditionally the plant is believed to promote long life. The fruit is one of the most popular tonics used in Chinese herbal medicine. A decoction is used to clear the vision, strengthen the kidneys, restore semen and nourish the liver. The fruit protects the liver from damage caused by exposure to toxins. It is also used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, vertigo, nocturnal emissions and aching back and legs. The fruit of many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. It is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is fairly unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated as a food that is capable of reducing the incidence of cancer and also as a means of halting or reversing the growth of cancers. The seed is used as a haemostat for the control of bleeding, with a special action on the kidneys and sex organs. The root bark is antibacterial, antipyretic, hepatic, hypoglycaemic and vasodilator. It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls involuntary bodily functions such as digestive secretions. The root is used in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis and pneumonia in small children, chronic febrile disease, night sweats, cough and asthma, tuberculosis, hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The root can be harvested at any time of the year but traditionally it is harvested in the spring and can be dried for later use. The root bark contains betaine. This can increase the rate of growth of farm animals and increase the weight and amount of eggs, it is used in the treatment of achlorhydria, atherosclerosis and hepatic diseases. Haemostatic.
Antibacterial: Kills bacteria.
Antipyretic: Treats fevers. See Febrifuge.
Cancer: Used in the treatment of cancer.
Haemostatic: Controls internal bleeding.
Hepatic: Acts on the liver (for better or worse!).
Hypoglycaemic: Reduces the levels of sugar in the blood.
Infertility: Used in treating problems of human fertility.
Kidney: Used in the treatment of kidney diseases
Ophthalmic: Treats eye complaints.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Vasodilator: Widens the blood vessels, thereby reducing blood pressure.
Other
Rating: 3
Can be grown as an informal hedge, succeeding in maritime exposure. Plants have an extensive root system and can be planted to stabilize banks.
Hedge: Plants that can be grown as hedges.
Soil stabilization: Plants that can be grown in places such as sand dunes in order to prevent erosion by wind, water or other agents.
Hedge: Hedge
How it is grown
An easily grown plant, it does not require a rich soil, flowering and fruiting better in a well-drained soil of moderate quality. Succeeds in impoverished soils. Requires a sunny position. Tolerates maritime exposure. A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -23°c. This species is widely cultivated for its edible young shoots in China. There is much confusion between this species and the closely related L. barbarum. Most, if not all, of the plants being grown as L. chinense in Britain are in fact L.barbarum.
Propagating it: Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse. Germination is usually good and fairly quick. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer. Pinch out the shoot tips of the young plants in order to encourage bushy growth. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel if possible, July/August in individual pots in a frame. Good percentage. Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, autumn to late winter in a cold frame. High percentage. Division of suckers in late winter. Very easy, the suckers can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. Layering.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Hedge;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 5-9
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Some caution should be exercised with this species, particularly with regard to its edible leaves, since it belongs to a family that often contains toxins. However, use of the leaves is well documented and fairly widespread in some areas.
Its other names
Local names
Chinese wolfberry, Chu chi, Daun koki, Gau gei choi, Gouqi, Gugijanamu, Holly Willow, Kaokichai, Kaukichai, Kaukichoy, Kei-chi, Kou-chi, Kou-kay-choi, Kuko, Matrimony vine,