Goji berry

Growing in Pots, Balconies & Indoors

Goji berry is a hardy 1-3 m (3-10 ft) shrub. The grower says it isn’t a houseplant but grows well in a container – a good, easy patio or balcony fruit shrub, though a pot also helps contain its spreading habit.

Quick Details

• Container Size: A large, deep container (grower didn’t state a size)
• Indoor Suitability: Not a houseplant; a hardy patio container shrub
• Best Spot: Full sun (tolerates part shade but fruits less)
• Soil & Drainage: Aerated, organic-rich mix that drains freely
• Watering in Pots: Keep the mix lightly moist – pots dry faster than open ground; water once the surface starts to dry.

Indoors & On the Windowsill

• Houseplant limits: Not a houseplant – it fruits best in full sun outdoors.
• Windowsill growing: Better outdoors, but it is small enough that a young plant could sit on a very sunny sill before going outside.
• Overwintering: Very cold-hardy, so it is happy to stand outside through winter.

On a Balcony or Patio

• Light & wind: Full sun gives the best crop. Its long, arching canes can be tied in or trimmed; pots dry fast in reflected heat, so check often.
• Contain the spread: A pot is a good way to keep this vigorous, potentially invasive shrub in check.

Choosing the Pot, Soil & Long-Term Care

• Pot & drainage: A deep pot with strong drainage holes; skip a standing-water saucer to avoid root rot. Terracotta breathes and dries faster, while glazed or plastic hold moisture longer.
• Potting mix: Well-aerated, organic-rich mix – peat or coir with perlite and a little organic matter; it must drain freely.
• Feeding: Potted plants use up their food faster because nutrients leach out with each watering, so feed a little more often than plants in open ground.
• Repotting: Refresh part of the mix and pot up every couple of years; for established plants, lightly prune the root ball and top growth when you repot.

Bloom & Flower Guide

Quick Details

• Bloom Season: Spring to summer
• Flower Appearance: Small purple five-petalled flowers along the stems
• Edibility: The flowers are not eaten

Detailed Blooming Overview

Goji, or wolfberry, flowers through spring and summer, dotting its arching stems with small purple blooms. The flowers can appear at almost any leaf node, so a well-grown plant bears them freely — each one a step toward the familiar red berry.

Flower Characteristics

• Purple, with five petals in a small star or funnel shape.
• Produced at the leaf nodes all along the stems.

Bloom Care & Thinning

• Pruning for bloom: A winter prune of weak stems keeps the plant strong enough to carry its flowers and the fruit that follows.
• Pollination: Bees visit the flowers, and goji is largely self-fertile.
• Light: Full sun gives the most flowers.