Goji berries are rightly called superfoods and the exciting news is the plants can now be grown in Australia!
They are cultivated by the Glucina’s Wholesale Nursery in northern NSW and sold through Bunnings stores. Apparently goji is a plant that suits the Australian climate and can be successfully grown in our gardens.
I just bought a small goji berry plant for my garden! I can already imagine picking and eating fresh berries rather than dried ones, in a pill or in juice!
Are you growing goji berries anywhere in Australia or elsewhere? Let us know your gardening tips in comments!
Growing goji berries in Australia
Goji Berry plants (Lysium barbarum) are available to Australian gardeners. Goji juice, dried berries and chocolate coated gojis have been the latest health trend around the world.
World-wide demand for the little red berries (aka ‘red diamonds’) means they can be quite pricey to buy. Growing your own has never come at a better time according to Kevin at Glucina’s nursery In NSW. He said: “The cultivar we have been working on starts producing berries after its second year and is fully productive by year five – producing loads of the little red berries throughout summer/autumn.
The plant is a deciduous long living perennial which develops a trunk not dissimilar to an old grape vine. It can grow to 3 meters tall with multiple fruit bearing branches but pruning to suit your site is ok for small gardens. Goji plants originated in the Himalayan triangle of Tibet, China and Mongolia – but nearly 100% of the world’s commercial production is in the fertile warmer river deltas of China”.
The plant is said to tolerate a massive temperature range from minus 15C degrees right up to plus 40C, making it suitable for growing throughout most of Australia. The plant does well in well drained soil types and is fairly drought tolerant once established. But, like most other plants, needs protection from slugs snails and rabbits in its first year.
Benefits of consuming Goji berries
Goji berries (also known as wolfberries or Go Chi Zi), have been used in China / Tibet for thousands of years as a longevity and medicinal food. Nowadays, scientific analysis has uncovered more of goji berry health giving secrets and benefits.
Fresh goji berries apparently have about five times more antioxidants than any other food. The berries also have a good range of fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Scientific research has also been focused on several of gojis unique polysaccharides which are found in no other food.
As well as having various anticancer compounds, studies are being carried out on the berries’ muscle boosting and energy recovery properties, and on a component called zeaxanthin which is believed to reduce macular degeneration of the eye – see more below.
Gojis are reported to help with healthy ageing, diabetes, heart disease and reduces skin cancer risk. Scientists at the University of Sydney led by Dr Vivienne Reeve, have shown that liquid containing just five per cent goji berry juice “significantly reduced” the inflammatory oedema (fluid retention) of the sunburn reaction in hairless mice.
The goji berry drinking mice had significantly less inflammation of the skin and they didn’t experience any immune suppression, which is a risk factor for skin cancer development in chronically over exposed skin. They also appeared to suppress skin cancer growth with another experiment showing skin cancer-induced mice had significantly slower growing tumours.
As well as the berries being delicious, fresh goji leaves are also used as a nutritious vegetable, goji extracts are being incorporated into cosmetics, breakfast cereals, health supplements, sports drinks and alcoholic beverages.
Goji berries and eye health
Goji berry is the highest known dietary source of zeaxanthin, containing a highly bioavailable form (dipalmitate). Zeaxanthin, lutein and the isomer meso-zeaxanthin are macular pigments that provide oxidative defence and filter damaging blue light in the macula. These pigments are found in red, orange and yellow fruits and vegetables, and increased dietary intake is proposed to protect against the development and progression of age-related macular degeneration (ADM).
Recent research indicates that regular consumption of dried goji berries may help to prevent or delay the development of age-related macular degeneration. The results showed that a daily serve of goji berries, five times a week for 90 days, significantly decreased the risk of ADM. In contrast, individuals who consumed the commercial supplement for eye health over the same period did not show an increase.
Adding a small handful of dried goji berries to the daily diet is an easy and safe way to ensure adequate intake of zeaxanthin and lutein and can improve macular pigments beyond taking nutritional supplements.
So, if you can I suggest you grow your own goji berries Australia and reap the benefits!
Good health and blessings
Joanna Sochan
Wholistic Health and Lifestyle Therapist
Natural and Lifestyle Solutions for Abundant Health
Additional resources
- Eat this – Goji berry
- Smoothies: How to make healthy and quick smoothies
- How to drink enough water daily and improve your health: electrolytes
- Low vitamin D – what you need to know to achieve and maintain high levels
Disclaimer: The above material is for informational and educational purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose and it is not a substitute for a medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, prescription or recommendation. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should not make any changes in their health regimen or diet before first consulting a doctor or other qualified health provider with any questions they may have regarding a medical condition or their particular circumstances.
Joanna Sochanis a Natural Therapist and founder of Naturimedica Wholistic Wellcare. She has a passion for helping clients transform their lives by becoming healthy and well naturally. Joanna has 12+ years experience in clinical practice and has special interest in solving complex cases, gut health, food sensitivities, hormone imbalances, autoimmune disorders and weight loss. She helps clients individually (mostly online) Australia-wide and also offers online therapeutic programs, eCourses and self-help eBooks. View full bio.
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I bought one from Bunnings at Bankstown store today, very excited when I found this.
Sound great! Good luck with growing it:)
I have recently experimented with germinating goji berry from the dried goji berries I bought from my local Asian grocer. I took a small handful and soaked them overnight. The next day I transferred the whole lot into a raising tray. Lo and behold, a whole lot of seedlings sprouted about 10 days later. I have enough gojiberry seedlings to start a farm. The cost is nominal.
How interesting! Thank you for sharing your success with growing goji berries from seeds. I’ll try it as well and let you know how I go:)
Hi. My main goji berry is several years old. It is planted near my letter box so when it fruits, I just pick several when going past and have them fresh and organic. It has sent out runners and some I have picked and planted in pots for friends. I only wish I had planted mine in a very large pot now as some runners are coming up in a nearby vegetable plot. I wondered if they were in fact runners, or from the fruit seeds and would like any information on this. Another thing is today we have had lots of rain and for the first time, I picked off several snails. I have now placed a copper strip around the trunk and hope this does the trick as apparently their slimy stuff reacts badly with copper. Any information appreciated.
I live in Perth, Australia where the soil is sandy. Do you think goji berry seeds can germinate in this type of soil.
Also, as I do not have much space in the garden, I intend to plant them in big porcelain pots of diameter 50 cm.
And, when is the best time to put the seeds in the pots, spring maybe?
I’m afraid I don’t know the answers to your questions re growing conditions for goji berries plants. I think it’s best you contact the nursery directly.
I will look for goji berries in Bunnings as winter is the best time to plant new shrubs/trees.
Thanks Joanna for sharing the info.
I’m glad you were inspired to grow goji berries! Thank you for your message.
All the best
Joanna
Thank you for this additional information. Will you be able to suggest/comment on best varieties you’ve had success with in the US?
Cheers
Joanna
Thankyou for such detailed info as I had a friend give me a plant and had to find out what type it was. Growing this year in garden the leaves not dropped now in end of june ..thick long vine laying branches with smaller ones coming up thicker. I put middle of vegie patch and laying down across soil. May have to move early spring to side and give a lattice to grow up. Not wanting to move it in winter and looking healthy in mid nsw coastal garden.
Janet
Thank you for sharing your experience with growing goji berries! It’ll be interesting to see how you go with it, please post an update in spring:)
All the best
Joanna