Virginia Tech Dendrology

Baja desert-thorn Solanaceae Lycium brevipes Benth. Listen to the Latin symbol: LYBR
Leaf: Alternate, simple, drought deciduous, 1/4 to 5/8 inch long, broadly obovate to spatulate, entire margins, blue to gray-green, somewhat thickened and fleshy.
Flower: Species is monoecious; narrow tubular, 4 (sometimes 5) lobed, 1/2 inch long, on a short stalk, white to pale lavender, appearing spring.
Fruit: Fleshy, orange-red, oval berries (resemble small tomatoes), 3/8 inch long, hang downward, ripen in early summer, edible.
Twig: Stiff, light ashy gray, and spine-tipped, leaves appear on short spurs.
Bark: Irregular, interlacing, shallow furrows with shreddy flat ridges.
Form: Densely branched, spiny shrub up to 9 feet tall.
 Looks like: Anderson boxthorn - Fremont's desert-thorn - bitter condalia - blackbrush
leaf flower fruit twig bark form1 map
Additional Range Information: Lycium brevipes is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting.
External Links: USDA Plants Database
All material © 2018 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range maps courtesy USGS from USDA "Atlas of United States Trees" by Elbert L. Little, Jr., Vol. 1 (1971) 3 (1976) 4 (1977) 5 (1978)