Lycium barbarum Q1 - Goji berry

The Common Goji 'Q1' (Lycium barbarum) is a very hardy and naturally productive fruit bush, ideal for harvesting your own tasty, antioxidant-rich goji berries in the garden. This 'Q1' selection is distinguished by its rapid fruiting, summer flowering, and generous harvests from late summer to autumn. It is easy to grow, thriving in full sun in ordinary but well-drained soil. It is self-fertile, so it can produce fruit on its own, but yields are better if you plant two specimens.

Goji (Lycium barbarum), also called Barbary wolfberry or common goji, is a deciduous bush from the Solanaceae family. The species is now generally considered native to Asia, especially China, where it has been cultivated for centuries, and later naturalised in South-Eastern Europe; the debate about a Mediterranean origin still exists in the literature.
The cultivar 'Q1' is a recent horticultural selection, distributed on the European market—notably by French nurseries—for its vigour and regular fruiting.

Goji 'Q1' is a bush with an initially upright habit that becomes gracefully trailing, reaching 1.50 m to 3 m in height depending on conditions. The flexible shoots bear a few spaced thorns. The deciduous foliage changes from a bright juvenile green to a greyish-green on mature leaves. The nectar-rich flowering occurs between late May and July, depending on the climate, in the form of small purple to violet corollas. The berries are red when ripe, and should be eaten when fully ripe, fresh or dried. 
Goji berries are primarily valued for their richness in antioxidant compounds: polysaccharides, carotenoids (including zeaxanthin), flavonoids, as well as vitamins (notably C) and minerals. Numerous literature reviews confirm this nutritional profile and the antioxidant activity measured in the laboratory.

In the garden, Goji 'Q1' fits into a country hedge, but it can also be trained against a support. Cultivation in a large container is possible, provided it is regularly pruned. It appreciates full sun and well-drained soil, tolerates drought once established, and proves to be very hardy. Production is better in fertile soil that remains moist in summer; the harvest is staggered from late August to October, even into November in mild climates.
For a tasty and nectar-rich hedge, pair goji 'Q1' with easy small fruits: raspberry 'Autumn Bliss', redcurrant 'Rovada', blackcurrant 'Noir de Bourgogne' and thornless blackberry 'Triple Crown'. These bushes spread flowering and harvests from June to autumn, while offering varied textures and colours. Plant thyme or lavender at its base to attract pollinators and keep the soil well-drained.