Wolfberry Facts
Wolfberry Facts
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| Interesting Wolfberry Facts: |
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| Wolfberry is a woody bush. It has thorny stem that can reach 3 to 10 feet in height. |
| Wolfberry develops lanceolate or oval leaves with round tips. Leaves are alternately arranged on the stem or grouped in clusters of one to three leaves. |
| Wolfberry blooms from June to September (in the northern hemisphere). It produces bell-shaped flowers that grow in the axils of leaves. They are lavender or light purple colored. |
| Wolfberry produces large quantities of nectar which attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, main pollinators of this plant. |
| Fruit of wolfberry is bright orange or red-colored berry. Each berry contains 10 to 60 yellow seed. |
| Wolfberry produces fruit from the July to October (in the northern hemisphere). Fruit is important source of food for the forest animals, especially birds which facilitate dispersal of seed. |
| Berries of wolfberry are rich source of dietary fibers, vitamins B2 and C and minerals such as iron, selenium and potassium. They also contain amino-acids, unsaturated fatty acids, carbohydrates and phytochemicals such as beta-carotene and zeaxanthin. |
| Berries of wolfberry can be consumed fresh, dried (as raisins) or thermally processed in the form of soups, stews and cookies. Berries are also popular ingredient of industrially produced granola bars, juices and jellies. |
| Young shoots and leaves of wolfberry can be consumed as green, leafy vegetable. Whole or ground seed of wolfberry are also used in the human diet. |
| Berries of wolfberry are used for the manufacture of various types of wines. Dry flowers of wolfberry can be consumed in the form of tea. |
| Just like other member of the nightshade family, wolfberry also contains toxic alkaloids (group of chemicals). Level of these chemicals in wolfberry is low, which makes this plant safe for the human consumption. |
| Berries of wolfberry are used in traditional Chinese medicine to improve function of eyes, liver and immune system and to provide body with energy. Root is used in treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure) and fever. |
| Wolfberry is sometimes marketed as "superfood" because of the positive effects that berries can induce in the human body. |
| Despite widespread belief that wolfberries can delay aging process or cure certain types of cancer, scientific evidences that support these claims are still lacking. |
| Wolfberry is perennial plant, which means that it lives more than 2 years in the wild. |
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