Lycium barbarum Princess Tao FPW03

Lycium barbarum Princess Tao FPW03 is a French-selected variety of Goji. The shrub has been improved to be resistant to powdery mildew and well adapted to outdoor cultivation. The berries are also sweeter than on other varieties, making the consumption of fresh fruit more enjoyable. Goji berries have been known for their nutritional properties for millennia and are exceptionally rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Plant in autumn or spring; harvest in August.

The Goji (Lycium barbarum) belongs to the Solanaceae family, just like tomatoes and potatoes. It is a deciduous shrub with a somewhat controversial origin. It was long considered to come from China, but recent research has shown that it could be native to the Mediterranean Basin, which is supported by the species name 'barbarum', referring to Barbary, which was associated with North Africa in the time of Linnaeus.

The Common Lycium is a woody bush with an upright, spreading, ramified habit, reaching a height of 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) to 3 m (9 ft 10 in) at maturity depending on growing conditions. Its growth is moderately fast. The numerous branches are flexible and trailing, equipped with a few long sharp spines. The foliage is deciduous, thick and leathery, initially bright green in young leaves but evolving to a greyish-green colour in mature leaves. The highly honey-scented and nectar-rich flowering occurs from June to July, in the form of small 10 mm (0.4 in) star-shaped purple tubes for this variety. It is followed by the formation of red-orange berries at maturity. It is best to consume the fruits when fully ripe, when the solanine content has decreased in the pulp. 'Princess Tao' Goji berries are particularly sweet and pleasant to eat both fresh and dried.

This small fruit is rich in carbohydrates and proteins and low in lipids. It contains calcium, potassium, iron, selenium, vitamins E, B2, beta-carotene (which gives it its orange colour), and vitamin C (which enhances iron absorption by our body). The Lycium pulp has been the subject of numerous studies in recent years, which tend to prove its antioxidant action.

The Goji integrates perfectly into the ornamental garden. It is a beautiful shrub that can be included in a country hedge, alongside currants and flowering shrubs, or trained with blackberries. Resistant to drought and hardy, the 'Princess Tao' variety will be more productive in a rich and moist soil. This shrub has shallow roots.