{"product_id":"fremonts-thornbush-1-gallon-plant-start","title":"Fremont's Thornbush","description":"\u003cp\u003eMeet \u003cstrong\u003eFremont's Thornbush\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003eLycium fremontii\u003c\/em\u003e) — also known as Boxthorn, Desert Thorn, and \u003cstrong\u003eFrutilla\u003c\/strong\u003e in Spanish — a thorny desert shrub whose plump red-orange berries have fed people and wildlife across the Sonoran Desert for thousands of years. Long before any written record, the Tohono O'odham, Akimel O'odham, and other desert peoples harvested its fruits each summer — eating them fresh, drying them for winter, and grinding them into a sustaining paste for long journeys. This plant belongs to the land and to the people who have tended it for generations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e🌎 Native Range\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLycium fremontii\u003c\/em\u003e is native to the \u003cstrong\u003eSonoran Desert and lower Chihuahuan Desert\u003c\/strong\u003e, ranging from southern Arizona and California through Sonora, Mexico, and into southwestern New Mexico. It favors desert washes, bajadas, and riparian edges — places where just a little extra moisture concentrates in an otherwise dry landscape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e🦅 Larval Host \u0026amp; Ecosystem Role\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWhite-lined Sphinx Moth (\u003cem\u003eHyles lineata\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003c\/strong\u003e — larvae feed on \u003cem\u003eLycium\u003c\/em\u003e foliage; one of the Southwest's most spectacular hawk moths\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurve-billed Thrasher \u0026amp; Cactus Wren\u003c\/strong\u003e — fruits are a staple food; thorny branches provide prime nesting sites\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGambel's Quail\u003c\/strong\u003e — fruits consumed; dense shrub structure used as protective cover\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNative Bees \u0026amp; Hummingbirds\u003c\/strong\u003e — tubular lavender flowers attract early-season pollinators\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLarger fruits than its sister species make it an especially productive wildlife food source\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e🌿 Beneficial \u0026amp; Medicinal Uses\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFruits (\u003cem\u003efrutilla\u003c\/em\u003e) are edible — notably larger and sweeter than other native \u003cem\u003eLycium\u003c\/em\u003e species\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHarvested and eaten fresh or dried by Tohono O'odham and Akimel O'odham peoples for generations\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDried fruits stored as a winter food reserve — a critical caloric resource in lean desert seasons\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRelated to goji berry; shares an antioxidant-rich nutritional profile\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e🌟 Plant Highlights\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e1-gallon plant start — well-rooted and ready to establish\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeciduous thorny shrub, 4–8 feet tall — a generous, spreading presence\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLavender tubular flowers in late winter to early spring — among the earliest desert bloomers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLarge red-orange fruits ripen summer through fall — exceptional wildlife value\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExtremely drought-tolerant; thrives with minimal supplemental water once established\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e🌵 Growing in the Desert Southwest?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFull sun — thrives in open, exposed desert conditions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSandy, rocky, or well-draining soils preferred; tolerates caliche\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWater weekly for the first season; deep monthly irrigation once established\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExcellent as a wildlife hedge, arroyo edge planting, or naturalized border\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePairs beautifully with Anderson's Wolfberry for a multi-species wildlife corridor\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA thousand years of relationship between this thorny, generous shrub and the desert peoples who knew its gifts. Plant \u003cem\u003efrutilla\u003c\/em\u003e and feed the land that feeds us all. 🌵\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SJR Growers Co","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47640458133653,"sku":null,"price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0778\/9481\/1797\/files\/DDBAC6D2-27E8-4B1E-BCF2-084D2B0AD04E.jpg?v=1787721963","url":"https:\/\/sjrgrowersco.myshopify.com\/products\/fremonts-thornbush-1-gallon-plant-start","provider":"SJR Growers Co","version":"1.0","type":"link"}