Lycian berry Lycium barbarum is otherwise known as the scarlet goatberry or the Asian wolfberry or heals. It is native to China, Tibet and Mongolia, where it grows both in the hills and in the valleys. It is worth knowing that this valuable plant can also be successfully grown in Poland.
Wolfdog is a close relative of the tomato and the potato.In Poland, it is mainly decorative as a hedge plant with ornamental flowers and fruit. The bushes grow from 1 to 3 m. The twigs are thin, light gray, thorny, initially raised, then hanging down in an arched shape. The ornaments are pink-purple flowers that appear from June to August and red fruits in October.Lancet dark green leaves are shed for winter. The bush grows quickly and thanks to the production of numerous outgrowths, it overgrows large spaces, creating thorn thickets that are difficult to cross.
The wolfberry does not have large habitat requirements. It grows in sandy and loamy, weak and dry soils, although it prefers well-drained soil. It tolerates partially and even completely shaded places, but it blooms better and bears fruit in the sun. It can withstand frosts down to -26 ° C, and even greater frosts if the roots are covered with organic mulch. In the first year after planting, it is safer to cover the entire shrubs for the winter. The plant survives short-term drying, but it is much less able to overflow the substrate.
Lycian berry works well in loose hedges. It can be successfully planted in difficult positions, e.g. in poor soil, and due to outgrowths - on slopes.
In order to give the plant shape and limit its growth, cut the bushes every spring, before flowering, shortening the shoots by approx.1/3 of the length. You can also prune at other times, during the growing season. In spring, withered shoots are also removed and old, woody twigs are cut, which will stimulate the plant to produce shoots on which flowers are formed.
Heal plants are available in pot nurseries, so they can be planted throughout the growing season. The distance between the bushes should be approx. 1.5 m, because the plants thicken quickly and produce shoots from the roots.
The fruits of wolfberry are sweet, oblong in shape, up to 2 cm long.They ripen in October. They are collected by shaking them onto special sheets, because fresh ones, when touched with hands, darken due to the oxidation reaction. The fruit is dried in the shade so that it retains its nutritional value.
Goi is cultivated for its healing properties. The Chinese have valued it for centuries, incl. for slowing down the aging processes, and even extending life significantly (they have one of the highest levels of antioxidants).
Blueberries are rich in 19 different amino acids, including 8 essential amino acids (not produced in the human body), contain trace elements such as zinc, iron (three times more than spinach), copper, calcium, germanium (it has anti-cancer effect), selenium, phosphorus, vitamins: B1, B2, B6 and vitamin of youth E. They are one of the richest sources of carotenoids, including beta carotene (vitamin A).
Fresh fruit has 50 times more vitamin C than oranges, although they lose some of it on drying. Goi berries contain essential fatty acids, such as linoleic acid, which is helpful in weight loss, and omega-6 acid. Beta-sisterol in blueberries has an anti-inflammatory effect and lowers cholesterol levels. Eating fruit helps to improve immunity, strengthen the liver and, according to Chinese medicine, also fertility and circulation.
Blueberries are used as a sedative and analgesic,to treat inflammation, skin irritation, anemia, cough, nosebleeds.According to some scientific studies, it is believed that wolfberry fruit may be useful in the treatment of cancer. Heal fruits stimulate the body to produce natural growth hormone, which inhibits the aging process, and the high content of lutein and zeaxanthin significantly contributes to the improvement of eyesight.
Use value
Due to the fact that the Lycian berry belongs to a family where many plants are poisonous to the Solanaceae, unripe heal fruits can be toxic. Ripe berries are suitable for consumption and can be used in various forms: fresh, as juice, and dried. The Chinese make soups from the fruit of this plant, and the young shoots and leaves are eaten as vegetables, e.g. in salads.
