But its not just about the fruit.
Pomegranates are suchattractive flowering shrubsthat theyre often grown solely as ornamentals or for landscaping.
Some produce beautiful flowers for months.
Credit:Ed Gohlich
Others produce smaller, decorative berries (great for wreaths and flower arrangements).
Dwarf options extend their use to smaller spots, pots, hedges, and evenbonsai.
Ed Gohlich
Because they usually dont require much care, pomegranates are ideal for beginners and hands-off gardeners.
Credit:Denny Schrock
But you should choose the variety carefully.
Their cold-hardiness, plant size, fruit, and flowers vary dramatically.
A handful of evergreen pomegranates may even flower through winter in a warm, bright window.
Ten or more hours of sun a day in summer is even better.
Part of the special charm of pomegranates is their tendency to weep and take on a fountain shape.
Plant pomegranates where they’ll have least 10-15 feet on all sides if you want them to be freestanding.
Dwarf pomegranates give you more planting options.
Theyre at home in a dense flowering shrub garden orin a hedge.
If you have space, consider planting two different varieties.
In cooler regions, its best to plant in spring.
That gives them a full season of growth before their first winter.
Wait until after thelast threat of spring frost.
Though pomegranates adapt to most soil types, theyll appreciate being planted in amended soil.
Dig a large hole two or three feet in diameter and a foot to a foot and half deep.
Mix the soil with a bag of manure or compost.
Add peat moss or coconut coir.
Place the pomegranate in the center.
verify its sitting in the ground at the same depth as it is in the pot it came in.
Fill the rest of the soil back in the hole and water it in thoroughly.
Potted pomegranates need a potting mix that drains well but retains moisture.
Good drainage is essential.
Northern gardeners may also experiment with ornamental dwarf pomegranates asperennials or annuals in the ground.
But you could get fruit sooner if you pamper them for a few years.
Light
The more sun the better.
Pomegranates tolerate four hours but they need at least six hours to do well.
Soil and Water
Pomegranates dont need the best soil or supplemental water.
Temperature and Humidity
Pomegranates prefer temperatures between 85F and 100F during the summer.
Most of the older pomegranates dont tolerate temperatures below 10F and can be damaged by temps in the 20s.
A few commercial-quality fruiting varieties can tolerate temperatures below zero.
Traditionally, pomegranates were thought to perform poorly in humid regions.
Still, its best to look for pomegranates that are known to grow successfully where you live.
For ornamental flowering types, extra nutrients can increase the frequency of bloom.
Use all-purpose fertilizer oradd a layer of compostor manure around your plant.
But its not necessary to use fertilizer if you want to take a hands-off approach.
you might still grow a vigorous, attractive, fruit-loaded pomegranate without fertilizing it.
If you choose to fertilize, either apply once in mid-to-late spring or monthly from mid-May to August.
Pomegranates naturally grow a dense, spreading set of stems from the base.
Avoid shaping them up too much.
Part of their charm is their tousled, slightly twisted growth.
They have to be cut back throughout the year to maintain a tree form.
Pomegranates are often one of the last plants to leaf out in spring.
If there is any green, its still alive and you should wait.
Inspect closely to attempt to salvage any living stems and branches.
In warmer regions, pruning should be scheduled for the end of winter or early spring.
Potting and Repotting
Pomegranates in pots need more attention than pomegranates in the ground.
Pot them in any standard potting soil orcome up with your own mix at home.
You may also use this as an opportunity to propagate a new pomegranate.
Heart rot is the biggest problem youre likely to encounter.
Unfortunately, theres nothing you’re free to do about it.
Keep it moist and out of direct sunlight until it starts to develop new growth.
Youll probably want to do a little bit of both if you have enough.
For the easiest off-the-plant eating, let the berries split open naturally.
Then cut or twist them off the branches.
Eat or juice them as soon as possible.
The big plus to letting them split themselves is you dont need to use tools to open them.
Theyll store for a couple of few weeks.
Unsplit pomegranates can store for several months in thecrisper drawer of your fridge.
Enjoy the first few split pomegranates and harvest the remaining intact fruit to store.
Theyll often change color or develop stretch marks when theyre about to split.
Types of Pomegranate
Even though theyre all botanically known asPunica granatum, pomegranates fall into distinct groups.
Most of them lose their leaves in fall and go dormant no matter where theyre grown.
Others are evergreen if the temperatures stay warm enough.
Some produce large, edible fruit.
Many dwarves produce small ornamental berries that are usually considered too much trouble and too sour to eat.
Then there are the flowering pomegranates.
They often have fully double flowers as spectacular as the most refined roses andcamellias.
Usually they just keep flowering and never set fruit.
Haku-Botan
This pomegranate variety combines elaborate flowers, large fruit, and unusual color.
Its fully double blooms, berries, and seeds are cream colored.
Extra tart seeds have a hint of pineapple.
It grows about 10 feet tall in Zones 7-11.
It doesnt set fruit but blooms all season on 15-foot-tall plants in Zones 8-11.
The small berries are perfect for wreaths and floral arrangements but probably not worth the trouble to eat them.
It grows about four feet tall in Zones 7-11.
It’s potentially evergreen when grown in a pot indoors.
It reaches four feet tall in Zones 7-11.
Red Silk
This dwarf pomegranate produces large, delicious fruit.
The flavor had hints of red berries and almond.
When mature, it produces a heavy crop of large berries comparable in quality to store-bought poms.
When pressed, the juice has the refreshing tartness of lemonade with the richness and sweetness of grape juice.
It will grow in Zones 6-11, but requires a protected spot near a wall in Zone 6.
Wonderful
The standard grocery story pomegranate that launched the pomegranate industry in California.
As a fresh fruit, the flavor is mild and sweet, often with hints of cherry.
Its store-bought juice often tastes slightly like a liqueur or vermouth.
It grows about 15 feet tall in Zones 7-11 (with winter protection in Zone 7).
venture to pull it apart without forcing it or bursting the seeds.
Pomegranate juice does stain, like raspberry or grape juice.
But once you get used to deseeding, its easy to avoid spraying your cloths.
Keep a clean washcloth handy.
They usually have a nutty center that adds a crunchy texture.
However, some pomegranates have a center so hard that its unpleasant to chew.
Some are more sour or sweet than others.
Others include hints of berries, pineapple, almond, or vermouth.
