Lycium carolinianum Walter

Christmas Berry; Carolina Matrimony Vine; Carolina Wolf Berry, Carolina Desert-thorn

Shrub

Perennial

Vascular

Christmas Berry is a native deciduous shrub in the Nightshade family (Solanaceae). It is native to Mobile County in Alabama. Christmas Berry grows on shell mounds, on shell beaches, and in salt or brackish marshes, often in areas with calcareous soils. It is a woody shrub reaching 9 feet in height. It often suckers from the roots, forming thickets. The bark is smooth and brownish-gray in color. Leaves are alternate, sessile or very short petiolate, narrowly oblanceolate to clavate in outline, glabrous, with entire margins. Short axillary branches are spine tipped. The leaves are thick and succulent. Flowers are solitary in the axils of the leaves. They often appear fascicled on the short branches. The calyx is tubular with 4 lobes and persists on the fruit. The corolla is tubular with 4-5 rotate lobes. The corolla varies in color from purple to blue or white. The fruit is a bright red ellipsoid berry. The berries are edible when ripe and are a rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins A, C and E, and flavonoids. It is eagerly consumed by birds and other wildlife. Christmas Berry is listed as an S1S2 species in Alabama (S1 - typically 5 or fewer occurrences, very few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable in the state. S2 - typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state), and globally as a G4 species (imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors). Christmas Berry is sometimes available from native plant nurseries. It is salt and drought tolerant. Christmas Berry does well in dry or saturated soils in full to partial sun.—A. Diamond

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Native FACW (NWPL) S1S2 (State Rank) G4T3 (Global Rank)

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