Pomegranate

Pomegranate, Punica

This classic fruit also makes for a stunning large landscape shrub across Texas. A tough constitution, showy blooms and beautiful, flavorful fruit make this plant a perfect fit for urban landscapes.

Growing

Plants should be grown in a sunny location. Pomegranates are very heat and drought tolerant once established, however provide consistent moisture to new plantings, or to plants you plant to harvest from heavily. Although the plant can be trained as a small tree, it is more commonly grown as a large shrub. Pomegranates can grow in just about any type of soil, as long as it drains well.

Tips

Plants will sucker regularly, so keep suckers pruned away. Pruning of the main plant is rarely required, but do hand prune any deadwood out regularly. Large varieties make excellent specimen or anchor shrubs or small trees. Dwarf selections can be mixed into landscape beds or grown in containers.

Recommended

P. granatum is a shrub or small tree with deciduous/semi-deciduous, dark glossy green leaves, and large colorful fruit. There are a number of named varieties of pomegranate, each with slight variations in size, fruit color and cold hardiness.  Dwarf varieties grown for ornamental use only are also available, as their small fruit is decorative, but generally not flavorful.  

‘Wonderful’ is the most commonly available variety, however ‘Pecos’, ‘Salavatski’, ‘Sal’ and ‘Texas Red’ are rated to have better flavor.’ ‘Russian 18’ is a bit more cold-hardy and adapted to many parts of the state.  If you’re in southern parts of the state, be sure to look for “low-chill” varieties like ‘Wonderful’, ‘Granada’ or ‘Ambrosia’.

Features: Showy orange-red flowers in spring and summer, dramatic fruit in colors ranging from yellow to bright red; fruit size ranges from 4” in diameter on large varieties, to 2” in smaller dwarf varieties. Glossy dark green deciduous to semi-deciduous foliage.

Height: 8’-15’, Dwarf varieties 2’-5’

Spread: 8’-15, Dwarf varieties 2’-5’

Hardiness: 7-10 (however can be grown in Zone 6 with winter protection)