Native Plants

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Lycium andersonii

Lycium andersonii A. Gray

Water Jacket, Red-berry Desert-thorn, Anderson Wolfberry

Solanaceae (Potato Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: lyan

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Red-berry Desert-thorn or Anderson Wolfberry is a rounded, much-branched, spiny shrub usually from 3-6 ft. high. The leaves are broadly pear-shaped. Flowers occur from leaf axils, singly or in pairs. They are whitish-lavender and tubular and hang from a pedicel. Intricately branched, thorny shrub. Leaves: 1", thick and fleshy; shape and size variable, depending upon seasonal moisture. The fruit is round, red and fleshy.

The berries provide forage for such ground birds as Chukars and Gambel Quails. Black-chinned Hummingbirds are attracted by the flowers.

From the Image Gallery

No images of this plant

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Fruit Type: Berry
Size Notes: Up to about 10 feet tall, often shorter.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Purple
Bloom Time: Jan , Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Aug , Sep
Bloom Notes: Rarely flowers in the fall.

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , NM , NV , UT
Native Distribution: S. CA, e. to UT & NM; also n.w. Mex.
Native Habitat: Dry, stony hills, mesas & washes

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Dry, gravelly soils.
Conditions Comments: In nature, Anderson wolfberry may occur as a single plant or in thickets.

Propagation

Description: Propagation is possible by seed, hardwood cuttings, layering, or division of suckers.
Seed Collection: Ripe berries may be picked from the bushes in the fall and the seeds extracted by maceration.
Seed Treatment: Seed dormancy in this genus is variable. Seeds of some species may require stratification at 41 degrees for 60-120 days.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Web Reference

Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) Calflora
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Lycium andersonii in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Lycium andersonii in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Lycium andersonii

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-05-23
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back