All plants /Shrub /Texas Wolfberry
Texas Wolfberry
Lycium carolinianum, nightshade family. Uncommon in West and Central Texas.
At a glance
- What
- Small red berries
- How
- Raw or cooked
- When
- Fall
- Where
- Coastal flats and dry South Texas
- Value
- A wild goji relative
Caution: This is the nightshade family: eat ONLY the ripe red berries of correctly identified wolfberry, never leaves or unripe fruit, and be certain of the plant. Never eat a wild plant on this guide's word alone. Confirm identity against several sources and learn the look-alikes first.
Identification
A wild cousin of the cultivated goji, with small red berries on a spiny succulent-leaved shrub. Nightshade family means positive ID matters more than usual.
In the kitchen
The ripe berries are mildly sweet-savory and were a traditional food, eaten fresh or dried.
Photo: NPS Photo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Forages well with
Forage safely. Never eat a wild plant on this site's word alone. Confirm identity with several sources, learn the look-alikes, and when in doubt, leave it in the ground.