Fremont's Desert-Thorn
Lycium fremontii
- Native to:
- Mexican Pacific Is., Mexico, United States
Dick Culbert (www.flickr.com) from Gibsons, B.C., Canada
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Solanaceae
- Genus:
- Lycium
- Species:
- Lycium fremontii
- USDA Symbol:
- LYFR
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Shrub
- Height:
- 300 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- mar,apr,may
- Bloom Colors:
- lavender, purple, white
- Landscaping Shrub:
- Yes
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from root crown following fire; common in fire-prone desert scrub communities.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 8.0 (neutral to slightly alkaline)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- native to arid desert regions
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 14–30 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily without pretreatment in warm conditions.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Keep cuttings moist until ready to plant.
Establishment: Take cuttings in spring or fall, when plant looks healthy and has leaves. Lycium will drop leaves and look dead under drought/high heat conditions, only to resprout with precipitation or lower temperatures. There are actually three species that occur along the Lower Colorado River in SW Arizona. L. Andersonii, L. fremontii and L. torreyi. Protocol is for all, as they are similar and difficult to tell apart. Fremontii has the smallest distribution, occurring in arid regions of Southern California and Arizona.
Source: npn.rngr.net