To predicate the potential suitable areas for Lycium barbarum L. cultivation in Qinghai Province and identify the key environmental factors restricting its growth, in this study, the MaxEnt model was used, and in combination with 98 distribution point data of Lycium barbarum L., 16 key environmental factors were selected through correlation analysis from multiple aspects such as climate, soil and topography. The research results were verified through the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, with a model accuracy of AUC=0.987, ensuring the reliability of the prediction results. The study disclosed that the core environmental factors, including the annual accumulated temperature above 10 ℃ (contribution rate of 50.2%), slope (10.9%), soil organic carbon content (10.2%), the driest month precipitation (6.3%), total soil nitrogen content (5.1%), average rainfall in August (4.9%), and total soil phosphorus content (4.8%), with a cumulative contribution rate of 92.4%, have a decisive impact on the distribution of Lycium barbarum L. The prediction results indicated that the high-suitability zone for Lycium barbarum L. covered an area of 1 769 km², primarily concentrated in Dulan County, Wulan County, and Delingha City within the Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The medium-suitability zone spaned 2 659 km², predominantly distributed across Dulan County and Wulan County. In contrast, the low-suitability zone, occupying 6 065 km², exhibited a broader geographical distribution encompassing Dulan County, Golmud City, Gonghe County, and other regions. These spatial patterns highlight the hierarchical ecological adaptability of the target species across distinct administrative and environmental gradients.