Shrub · Sonoran native
Wolfberry
Lycium fremontii · Solanaceae
Also called: Fremont wolfberry, Fremont's desert-thorn, Fremont's thornbush, Desert thornbush, Salicieso
Wolfberry (Lycium fremontii) is a very low-water shrub native to the Sonoran Desert region well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It grows to 4-6 ft H x 4-8 ft W (occasionally larger) in full sun, with a moderate growth rate.
Wolfberry at a glance
- Water use
- Very Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun; tolerates partial shade
- Mature size
- 4-6 ft H x 4-8 ft W (occasionally larger)
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom
- Light to deep lavender/purple with purple veining, Winter to spring (Jan-Apr), and at other times with sufficient moisture
- Cold hardiness
- Hardy to about 15-20 F; USDA zones 8-11
- Soil
- Well-drained native desert soils; tolerant of rocky, sandy, gravelly, and somewhat saline/alkaline ground.
- Native range
- Sonoran Desert of Arizona, southern California, and northwestern Mexico (Baja California, Sonora)
- Best used as
- Native and wildlife/habitat gardens, Thorny barrier or informal hedge, Revegetation and washes, Edible-landscape plantings (red berries), Bird and pollinator gardens
- Wildlife
- High value: lavender flowers attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, and the abundant red berries are eaten by many birds (including quail and thrashers) and small mammals. Larval host for some sphinx moths. Berries are edible to humans (eaten fresh or dried, a traditional O'odham food).
- Toxicity
- Berries are edible; no significant toxicity reported, though as a nightshade-family plant the unripe fruit and foliage are best not consumed in quantity.
How to grow Wolfberry in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Very drought tolerant; little to no supplemental water once established. Occasional deep watering in spring extends leafing and fruiting; drought-deciduous and dormant in dry spells.
Fertilizer & nutrients
None required; adapted to lean native soils.
Pruning & care
Minimal; thorny branches make it a natural barrier. Prune lightly in spring to shape or remove dead wood after summer dormancy. Can be cut back hard to rejuvenate.
Notes
Spiny, drought-deciduous native shrub of washes and bajadas that leafs out and flowers with cool-season moisture, then drops leaves and goes dormant in heat and drought. Among the earliest desert shrubs to bloom and fruit, making it a key early-season nectar and berry source for wildlife.
Sources: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (Lycium spp. plant care sheet); Southwest Desert Flora; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center; Cabeza Prieta NWR Sonoran Desert Plants database