Wolfberry

Lycium andersonii

Dull spine-tipped drought-deciduous shrub up to 9 ft. tall with small tubular white to violet flowers and succulent orange-red fruits, blooming January to June. Adapted to sandy or gravelly washes, sandy flats, mesas and slopes, and tolerant of some poorly drained soils with high alkalinity, salinity and well-developed desert pavement; up to 6,000 ft. elevation. Occurs in hot, dry southwest deserts, often with Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), Foothills palo verde (Parkinsonia microphylla), White bursage (Ambrosia dumosa), Nevada ephedra (Ephedra nevadensis), Spiny hopsage (Grayia spinosa) and Blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima). May root sprout after fire. Provides cover for birds and wildlife. Berries are foraged by chukars and Gambel’s quail. Nectar attracts Black-chinned hummingbirds.