Lycium arabicum
Schwein.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Meise Botanic Garden
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit, Leaves, Shoots
Fruit - raw or cooked. Only the fully ripe fruits should be eaten. Young shoots - cooked.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
N. Africa.
TEMPERATE ASIA: Kuwait, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Turkey TROPICAL ASIA: Pakistan AFRICA: Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini, South Africa (Kwa. Zulu-Natal, Transvaal)
How to Identify
Lycium arabicum is a deciduous Shrub. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.
How to Grow
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Does not require a rich soil, flowering and fruiting better in a well-drained soil of moderate quality. Succeeds in impoverished soils. Requires a sunny position. Tolerates maritime exposure.
Propagation: Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse. Germination is usually good and fairly quick. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer. Pinch out the shoot tips of the young plants in order to encourage bushy growth. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel if possible, July/August in individual pots in a frame. Good percentage. Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, autumn to late winter in a cold frame. High percentage. Division of suckers in late winter. Very easy, the suckers can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. Layering.
Medicinal Uses
Cancer. The fruit of many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. It is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is fairly unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated as a food that is capable of reducing the incidence of cancer and also as a means of halting or reversing the growth of cancers.
Other Uses
Soil stabilization. Plants have an extensive root system and can be planted to stabilize banks.
