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Plant a goji and leave the vitamin pills behind 💊
Family: Solanaceae · Pot diameter: 13cm · Height: approximately 45cm
Lycium barbarum Princess Tao® ‘FPW03’ has an unusually long seasonal rhythm: pale-violet flowers arrive in waves from May, while glossy red berries can be picked from summer into late autumn. Fruit is larger and sweeter than on many conventional goji types, adding vivid colour over many months. Its naturally layered flexible growth creates an impressive fruiting curtain and a distinctive vertical presence in the garden.
Against a bright wall or trellis, it combines elegant French selection, a long flowering season and easy harvesting in a beautifully organised vertical form.
‘FPW03’ stands out for sweet fruit, a long season and easy training on a support.
Flowering progresses towards the tips from May to September and harvest can continue into November.
The glossy red berries are larger than those of many common goji types and can be eaten fresh or dried when ripe.
‘FPW03’ has strong powdery-mildew resistance, without removing the need for air and correct watering.
Why you will love it: It extends picking over many months and turns a simple trellis into a layered fruiting wall.
Plant it against a south- or west-facing wall or on a strong trellis. Allow 2–3m in height and 2–2.5m in spread, tying the layered stems at different levels.
Low flowering clumps keep the base open and echo the purple flowers without tangling into the trellis.
Sun for denser flowering and ripening.
Water deeply when the surface dries; no waterlogging.
Hardy to about −30°C; protect fresh growth from late frost.
Eat only fully ripe, thoroughly washed berries.
Use light to medium, free-draining soil, preferably neutral to slightly alkaline. Prolonged root-zone wetness is more troublesome than moderate dryness.
Water deeply during establishment and when the surface dries during flowering and fruit development. Do not follow a rigid calendar.
The flexible shoots need stakes, a wall or trellis. Tie them loosely at different heights so they do not trail on the ground.
A moderate application of mature compost in spring is usually sufficient. Excess nitrogen produces long soft shoots and a less controlled crown.
Keep the crown clear, remove unwanted suckers low and check that ties do not cut into flexible stems.
Maintain light and air between stems, collect fallen fruit and water the soil rather than repeatedly wetting foliage late in the day.
‘Princess Tao’ is self-fertile and one plant can crop. Insect activity during the long flowering season helps fruit set.
Fruit ripens in succession from July to November, depending on sunshine and climate.
Pick only glossy evenly red berries that detach easily. Use a shallow picking tray so they are not crushed.
Fix taut netting in front of the trellis and check it every day. Avoid loose netting that can tangle in shoots or trap birds.
After planting: tie the main stems loosely to the trellis and let the roots strengthen with even watering.
Late winter, before new growth begins
In late winter shorten the old main shoots to about 20cm above the short trunk. New fruiting growth will start from these low points.
Action: Keep the short trunk and 3–5 main shoots. Tie flexible growth to the trellis instead of cutting it all back.
Retain: Retain enough foliage and length for good establishment and a fan shape.
Action: In late winter shorten the old main shoots to about 20cm above the trunk and remove very thin growth crowding the centre.
Retain: Keep healthy low points that will produce new fruiting growth.
Action: Renew a few old shoots each year and tie the new growth as a fan at different heights.
Retain: Keep the short trunk open, retain 3–5 strong bases and plenty of new growth.
Use sharp, clean tools suited to the diameter of the wood.
Guide and tie rather than repeatedly shortening tips where flowers and fruit progress.
Do not do this: Do not shear the whole trellis horizontally in summer; flowering progresses towards the tips and the next fruit will be removed with them.
The young plant keeps a few main shoots that spread over the support.
Flexible shoots are tied at different heights while flowers continue towards the tips.
The mature plant fills the support with tied new branches and fruit that is easy to pick from summer into autumn.
Princess Tao forms a short trunk and long flexible shoots that spread like a fan over a trellis.
After leaf fall, the short trunk, low bases and winter renewal points are clearly visible.
What to expect after planting: The young plant keeps a few main shoots that spread over the support.
‘FPW03’ was created in France by FPW Développement through a goji improvement programme. The aim was clear: larger berries with a sweet flavour and none of the strong astringency of many older types, an extended harvest and a plant better suited to European growing conditions.
From the programme, a selection was retained with layered, relatively low growth, modest water needs and good resistance to powdery mildew. It was tested and propagated as a stable clone, maintaining its harvest from July into autumn and the fruit qualities for which it had been selected.
SAPHO presented ‘FPW03’ at Plantarium in 2017 under the trade name Princess Tao®. European registration followed with plant variety right number 57595. A focused French breeding effort therefore moved from selection and trials into the European market as a clearly identified cultivar.
Flowers do not open together; they progress towards the tips, explaining why flowers, green fruit and ripe berries can coexist.
Winter pruning of old main shoots encourages strong new fruiting growth close to the trunk.
Six practical answers for choosing, growing, harvesting and pruning this exact cultivar.
No. It is self-fertile and can crop on its own.
Successively from July to November, depending on sun and climate.
It reaches about 2–3m in height and 2–2.5m in spread when properly supported.
Yes. Its naturally layered growth needs a trellis, wall or stakes.
In late winter shorten old main shoots to about 20cm above the short trunk to encourage new growth.
Yes, it shows good natural resistance. Light, air and watering at the root help keep it healthy.
