Goji?

[_#1_]

Ummm this is my first year venturing into the yard after 3 yrs of living in the house.
I noticed a couple "vines" growing along the rear fence and thought it was some sort of weeds with nice little purple flowers lol.
Then today I finally realize there are fruits/berries on these things. Looks to be Goji but wanted to get some opinions. Are they Goji? They have been chopped back often I can see.

The berries and leaves. The leaves are a bit broad so I thought it might be L. chinense, or maybe it is L. barbarum.

Berries are fleshy and very soft. Taste neutral with a slight bitterness (yes I might die!).

 

[wsteinhoff]

I don't think it's goji, the leaves are similar but not quite the same to me. It looks like a nightshade of some sort and goji is in the nightshade family so it could be a type that resembles goji berry.

 

[justBonsai]

Looks like goji to me. My parents grow a lot of them.

 

[_#1_]

The berries looks similar but leaves seems darker and bark rougher than the one @JudyB had/sold. Bark is almost identical to the Vitex I have.

This is the smallest, and should be easiest to dig up. Although I will not be attempting to dig the others unless this one survive.
Trunk is about 1.5" or so. For comparison, the pole behind it is 1.5"... I think.

This one is the size of a human hand. largest one.

The bark on this one is softer than the others.

Possible raft, or cascade?

I like this one the most. Pretty decent size too. The raft one is on the left on second pic.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

My guess would also be one of the nightshades. But your examples look more woody than I'd expect. Do try, treat it like a goji and see how it responds. Flowers will help with the identification.

 

[_#1_]

Damn, took some pics of the flowers about a month ago and wanted to post on the fall color thread. Decided not to because the pic didn't turn out great. It was purple but that do not help since nightshade can have purple flowers too.

Just gotta wait till next year to see what the flower really look like.

On a side not, some nightshades are poisonous and I ate 2! Still alive; maybe forage the rest tomorrow.

There's actually a bigger stump larger than a man fist I missed that need to be removed to make room for the grow bed. So 2 will be dug in the spring.

Whatever it is, and I'm leaning toward nightshade, this will be another learning experience in collecting and aftercare. Will be fun! And free this time!

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Sit with a guide to weed species, or a flora that includes nightshades. Botanically significant details, like how the pollen structures are arranged, petal arrangements, plus traits of the fruit will be what sorts it out.

 

[coh]

Looks like goji. I have one plant that I purchased from a nursery. The leaves look similar and the fruit looks similar - more elongated than the wild red nightshades I see around here.

Goji is in the nightshade family, from what I understand...as are tomatoes, potatoes, and many other plants. I think the most dangerous nightshade has black berries.

The odd thing is, you wouldn't really expect to find goji just growing wild...maybe a previous owner had planted it? Looks to be growing right up against a fence which supports that.

 

[Vin]

It may be Goji but the leaves don't look like mine (taken mid-summer just before leaf loss):

 

[Eric Group]

Definitely Goji. The leaves look different guys simply because of habitat- slight damage and a little tatie color... Bark, fruit, flower description= 100% Goji! Those are some porkers too!! Great finds!!

 

[Vin]

 

[Smoke]

Ummm this is my first year venturing into the yard after 3 yrs of living in the house.
I noticed a couple "vines" growing along the rear fence and thought it was some sort of weeds with nice little purple flowers lol.
Then today I finally realize there are fruits/berries on these things. Looks to be Goji but wanted to get some opinions. Are they Goji? They have been chopped back often I can see.

The berries and leaves. The leaves are a bit broad so I thought it might be L. chinense, or maybe it is L. barbarum.

Berries are fleshy and very soft. Taste neutral with a slight bitterness (yes I might die!).

Congratulations, you will now be the proud owner of a third testicle. This is the rare foemina berry fruit.

 

[_#1_]

@Eric Group I'm not 100% certain it's Goji because the bark looks nothing like the one JudyB had/sold. Either that or these are all still young?
The growth characteristic is kinda strange. Doesn't creep like a vine does. But have these long lanky shoots'branches that I thought where vines.

@coh I think you might be right. These are growing only along the fence. I gotta ask my dad since it was his house. Thought it was weed vines cause they're everywhere along the fence.

BUT, the little one and larger stump (not pictured) need to be moved.

Should I leave the rootball with native soil (sandy clay mud)? There is next to no info on these aside from that fact once they establish they grow quite strong.

Thanks for chiming in guys!

 

[Stickroot]

Ummm this is my first year venturing into the yard after 3 yrs of living in the house.
I noticed a couple "vines" growing along the rear fence and thought it was some sort of weeds with nice little purple flowers lol.
Then today I finally realize there are fruits/berries on these things. Looks to be Goji but wanted to get some opinions. Are they Goji? They have been chopped back often I can see.

The berries and leaves. The leaves are a bit broad so I thought it might be L. chinense, or maybe it is L. barbarum.

Berries are fleshy and very soft. Taste neutral with a slight bitterness (yes I might die!).

That is positively a Goji. I have multiple bushes, dry them and eat them everyday. They taste like $#!¥, but are very very good for you.

 

[Stickroot]

View attachment 124974

They may be worth some as Bonsai, but the fruit is worth WAY MORE!

 

[Stickroot]

I eat this much everyday.one bush will produce 7 lbs a season if you pick them as fast as they are ready. The more you pick the more they produce.

 

[Eric Group]

@Eric Group I'm not 100% certain it's Goji because the bark looks nothing like the one JudyB had/sold. Either that or these are all still young?
The growth characteristic is kinda strange. Doesn't creep like a vine does. But have these long lanky shoots'branches that I thought where vines.

@coh I think you might be right. These are growing only along the fence. I gotta ask my dad since it was his house. Thought it was weed vines cause they're everywhere along the fence.

BUT, the little one and larger stump (not pictured) need to be moved.

Should I leave the rootball with native soil (sandy clay mud)? There is next to no info on these aside from that fact once they establish they grow quite strong.

Thanks for chiming in guys!

I (like Stickroot) AM 100%... what looks different about the bark to you? As they age they get that look of deep vertical slots like these have- even pretty young ones develop that on older wood. I am not sure I recall the one you referenced of Judy's... love to see a pic! I am sure like with most any tree, there are different varieties of goji that have slightly different characteristics- bark, leaves, berry size... mine makes REALLY small fruit- smaller even than the ones I have seen posted so far in this thread I think..

 

[Vin]

Judy's:



Mine:

 

[Stickroot]

Judy's:

View attachment 124985

Mine:

View attachment 124986

As much as I like both of these in the pot... I would pop them right out and put them in the ground.

 

[milehigh_7]

We have a Southwest native Wolfberry Lycium andersonii that I think will end up being better than Lycium barbarum in a few years. I have a few of each so we will see.