Fremont Thorn Bush
Wolfberry
Lycium fremontii
.
Image taken along the Salt River, Phoenix, Arizona 26 Jan. 2008. The image is hosted at Wikimedia.
RANGE: Grows especially in deep sandy or silty soil that is damp and
saline. In the Sonoran Desert look for it along the major rivers and also near
the coast in Sonora, Mexico.
FLOWERS: Light to darker purple/lavender. Tubular flowers with usu. five
points are larger than most of the other Sonoran Desert Lyciums. The flowers are very attractive to both bees and hummingbirds.
SHRUB: A robust woody shrub occasionally up to
3 meters tall. Intricately branched and densely leafy if there has
been recent precipitation.
ARMED. This shrub has thorns, but they are not particularly sharp.
LEAVES: Leaves are spatulate (spoon-shaped) and rather thick and fleshy.
The leaves often appear fascicled.
FRUIT: Bright red juicy berries with a number of seeds are edible and sweet.
With an abundance of fruit the shrub again becomes quite attractive.