Wildlife Benefit From Superfood: Wolf/Goji Berries (Lycium barbarum)

Logan, Utah , December 2, 2014 (Newswire.com) - Goji berries or Wolfberries are a well-known health food due to their high nutrient value and use as an anti-aging superfood. While these berries are genuinely used for consumption, they also have a large potential to conserve soil and improve wildlife habitats.

Wolfberries are very hardy. They have proven themselves capable of thriving in both warm and cold climates, mostly due to their complex root system and impressive reproductive system. Once established, Wolfberry plants have a tap root that may be fifteen feet long, a huge support factor needed for their survival in dry climates. This deep, complex root system allows for Wolfberries to secure themselves to soft soil, and thereby stabilize the soil in its fight against erosion. In three years, a plot of 450 Wolfberry plants will grow to over 1,000 plants within the same plot. One demonstration plot on a 45 degree slope in Logan Utah was planted with a few plants and now, a few years later, the slope is totally covered with wolfberry plants, with a plant density of one to three plants per square foot. This plot is about one hundred feet wide, and five hundred feet long, and may contain up to 50,000 different plants that are able to co-exist comfortably with the Wolfberry plants. There is no irregular or extreme erosion on this slope and the area is now a popular home for quail and pheasants.

Please contact me at phoenixtears@digis.net for any questions you have, and I would be glad to assist you!

Doctor Donald R. Daugs

In the winter, these amazing plants provide a high nutrient food for quail, pheasants, and countless other song birds and rodents. As well as providing food, these plants are a perfect cover for these birds, and provide a safe nesting area for many of their species. Without this necessary resource, the survival of quail and/or pheasants during the winter would be frustrated.

Phoenix Tears Nursery, www.phoenixtearsnursery.com, is a nationally recognized source for information on wolfberry propagation, harvesting, and research on wolfberry nutrients. The nursery web site includes a wealth of information on these topics, and is very helpful in answering questions related to information included in this article.