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Solanaceae FAMILY

Lycium afrum

Lycium afrum

Edibility
1/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

Although no records of toxicity have been seen for this species, it does belong to a family that contains many poisonous plants. Some caution should be applied, especially towards leaves or unripe fruits, though ripe fruits are almost certainly edible.

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Shrub
Growth—

An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils[1]. It does not require a rich soil, flowering and fruiting better in a well-drained soil of moderate quality[1]. It succeeds in impoverished soils[2]. Requires a sunny position[2]. Tolerates maritime exposure[2]. This species is not very hardy in Britain, it tolerates short-lived frosts down to about -5°[2]. It requires the protection of a sunny wall if it is to flower and fruit in Britain[1, 3]. A very spiny plant[4]. Any pruning is best carried out in the spring[5].

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse. Germination is usually good and fairly quick. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer. Pinch out the shoot tips of the young plants in order to encourage bushy growth[6]. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel if possible, mid summer in individual pots in a frame. Good percentage[6]. Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, autumn to late winter in a cold frame. High percentage[6, 2]. Division of suckers in late winter. Very easy, the suckers can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. Layering. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Lycium+afrum>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
  4. [4]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  5. [5]Gardening on Walls — Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. · Collins · 1983 · ISBN 0-00-219220-0 ↩︎A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.
  6. [6]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
  7. [7]Flora of the Cape Peninsula. — Adamson. and Salter. ↩︎A good flora but rather short on details of habitat. Not for the casual reader.
  8. [8]The New Plantsman. Volume 1, 1994. — Matthews. V. · Royal Horticultural Society · 1994 · ISBN 1352-4186 ↩︎A quarterly magazine, it has articles on Himalayacalamus hookerianus, hardy Euphorbias and an excellent article on Hippophae spp.
  9. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎