Lycium fremontii aka Fremont's Desert Thorn

Lycium fremontii is a spiny shrub in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. People call it desert thorn or Fremont's desert-thorn. It grows wild in southern California, Arizona, and northwestern Mexico. Kew lists southern Guadalupe as part of its range too. It grows in deserts and dry shrubland. It lives in creosote bush scrub and on alkaline ground. These sites lie below 1,476 feet [450 metres].

This shrub has dense branches and reaches about 9–10 feet [2.7–3 metres]. Its stiff twigs start light brown and turn gray. Spines cap the twigs, while short spurs bear the leaves. The bark has shallow grooves with uneven shapes. It also has flat ridges that peel. Leaves grow in turn along the stems, with smooth edges. Their broad tips taper to the base, like a spoon. Each leaf measures about a quarter to half an inch long. The leaves range from blue-green to gray-green. They feel a bit thick or fleshy, a trait called succulent. The shrub sheds its leaves when drought comes.

The narrow flowers form tubes, each with five lobes. Their petals range from lavender to purple. Each flower measures about half an inch long. Most bloom from late winter through early spring. Some flowers may appear at other times of year. Plants For A Future lists bees as pollinators. The fleshy berries hang down and ripen in spring. They turn orange-red and look like tiny tomatoes. The oval fruits measure about three-eighths to half an inch long. The juicy flesh is the part listed as fit to eat.

Plants For A Future lists sand, loam, and clay as suitable soils. It calls for good drainage but accepts poor soil. Its listed pH range goes from mildly acid to strongly alkaline. The plant needs sun, not shade. The same source lists both dry and moist soil as suitable. Its dense, thorny form suits a sunny garden edge. Plants For A Future also lists a use for holding banks firm. It links this use to the plant's wide root system. That source leaves its hardiness in Britain in doubt.

You can eat the ripe fruit fresh or cooked. Dried berries can take the place of raisins. They can also flavor soups or go into flour blends once ground. Eat only berries that are fully ripe. Plants For A Future reports no confirmed records of toxicity for this species. It still urges care with leaves and unripe fruit. That warning does not prove that these parts are poisonous. The supplied sources give no pest or disease accounts specific to this species.