Firecracker Goji Berry

A Burst of Greatness

Originating from Asia and Southeast Europe, ‘Firecracker’ certainly lights up the garden sky with its color, flavor and fruitfulness. It is considered the sweetest goji berry on the market boasting a unique flavor paring of sweet cherry and mild cranberry. The bush is more abundant that other cultivars and the berries ripen earlier too. Fresh berries are soft and juicy and dried berries are chewy like raisins.

‘Firecracker’ tends to have a more mounding, dense multi-stemmed growth habit that stays a bit smaller and is more hardy than other cultivars. Berries ripen from mid-summer to mid-fall, providing a long season of harvest. It is also highly drought-tolerant once established, heat tolerant and even resistant to deer and rabbits.

About Goji: 

A member of the nightshade family, Goji Berry (also known as wolfberries) is a deciduous shrub that has small, trumpet-shaped purple blooms and bears tiny, nutrient-dense red fruit which are packed with antioxidants, vitamins A and C and even iron. They have been used in Asian medicine for over 2,000 years to help boost energy, improve skin health, protect and support eye health and increase immune function. They are typically eaten dried like raisins and make delightful additions to trail mix, cereal, teas, smoothies and soups.

Goji Berry needs 6-8 hours of full sun and can grow in most soil types except heavy, wet clay. They can benefit from, but do not absolutely require, a short, 4-5 foot simple trellis as their branches tend to droop once heavy from their fruit. Once established, they are drought-tolerant. As with other nightshades, do not over fertilize as this will create to much leaf growth with very few berries. A light top-dressing of compost once a season in Spring is sufficient. Prune in late Winter/early Spring to cut out dead wood and shorten long side branches to around 12 inches (much like you would with raspberries). It is also beneficial to pinch off branch tips in early summer in order to stimulate more growth of the fruit-bearing wood.

USDA Zones: 3-8

Spacing: 6 foot centers

Pollination Requirements: Self-fertile; does not require another plant

Grown & Shipped In: 4x4x9 tree pots with advanced root systems

Shipping Season: Spring (dormant) & Autumn (not dormant) – Subject to plant availability

Beautiful Beginnings goji berries have highly-developed and extensive root systems that set your plant up for success from the very beginning by helping it to anchor well and grow vigorously with proper care. Trees are also grown and shipped in a way to help them handle transplant stress better and to be able to uptake nutrients more effectively.