What is known as the goji berry tree is actually a very large Asian
shrub that can grow up to 10 feet. The goji is very versatile and
can resemble a tree, be pruned to a smaller height and be more like
a bush, or can crawl in tendrils in the form of a vine.
The fruit of the goji berry tree has been valued for centuries for
its amazing health benefits. Although many of these claims are the
stuff of legend, there are many consumers today who enjoy the beneficial
effects of goji.
The goji berry tree is a native of the Himalayas, and the best varieties
of goji are from here, although it is difficult to mass produce Himalayan
goji. There are many varieties of the goji berry tree found in Western
China, Mongolia, and there are over 40 kinds in Tibet. The highest
quality goji berry tree yield fruit rich in polysaccharides, which
are the active ingredients that facilitate communication between cells.
The fruit is then analyzed for quality before it is made into juice
and other goji products.
The goji berry tree is quite hardy. It grows from a very small seed,
about the size of a tomato seed, and can tolerate all kinds of soils.
However, better soils produce better quality fruit, not only in color
and taste, but in nutritional value. The goji berry tree is drought
resistant, although it does not tolerate tropical climates well.
According to ancient legend, a goji berry tree once grew over a well
and its unpicked ripe fruit kept falling into
the well. Those who drank water from that well were said to live to
an old age, without losing their teeth or losing their hair. Although
those claims are a bit extravagant by today’s standards, many
people feel better after drinking goji juice every day for a few weeks,
and the goji plant is rapidly growing in popularity.
