(Scarlet Wolfberry) Chinese native perennial shrub with slender stems growing up to 6.5-13 feet high if not pruned. From June to September, the shrub is decorated with pale violet, fragrant flowers. The fruit will then appear until the first frost and is high in compounds with antioxidant properties, such as carotenoids and phenolics. Goji berries have been used in Chinese medicine for centuries to promote liver, kidney, and eye health, and perhaps most famously, to support longevity. Naturally drought tolerant, highly disease and insect resistant, and tolerant of temps down to -18 F. The tender fruit appears in two years, and a mature plant can produce almost 7 lbs of berries under good conditions by the third year. Add the fruit to tonic, soups, rice, or herbal tea. The tender shoots and leaves are used as a leaf vegetable and are cooked 15 minutes in soup.