Pomegranate

The pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit-bearing shrub or small tree that grows best in places with hot, dry summers. Its round fruit has a tough, leathery red skin packed with hundreds of juicy, jewel-like seeds called arils. People have grown and enjoyed pomegranates for thousands of years.

Scientific Classification & Quick Facts

Common name	Pomegranate
Scientific name	Punica granatum
Kingdom	Plantae
Phylum	Tracheophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida
Order	Myrtales
Family	Lythraceae
Genus	Punica
Conservation status	Least Concern
Type	Slow-growing shrub or small tree
Habitat	Hot, dry, sunny sites with good drainage
Native range	Northern India and Iran
Colours	Scarlet flowers; red fruit
Height	5 to 8 m (16 to 26 ft)
Edible parts	Juicy red seed pulp

A Very Old Fruit

Pomegranates first grew wild in the region stretching from Iran to northern India. They were among the earliest fruits that people farmed, and they were grown in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and around the Mediterranean. They appear in ancient art, myths and religious texts, including the Bible, the Quran and Greek legends.

The name comes from Latin words meaning “seeded apple.” Spanish settlers brought pomegranates to the Americas in the 1500s, and missionaries planted them in California in the 1700s.

Today pomegranates are grown in many warm, dry parts of the world, including Iran, India, Turkey, Spain, Israel, Afghanistan, Central Asia, North Africa and the southwestern United States, especially California. In the Northern Hemisphere the fruit is usually in season from about September to February, and in the Southern Hemisphere from about March to May.

What the Plant Looks Like

A pomegranate plant usually grows as a bushy shrub or small tree about 5 to 8 meters (16 to 26 feet) tall, though garden plants are often kept smaller. It has narrow, glossy green leaves and some spiny branches.

In late spring and summer it produces bright orange-red, trumpet-shaped flowers. After the flowers are pollinated, the base of each flower swells into a fruit. The fruit still wears a little crown, left over from the flower, on top.

Inside the Fruit

Cut a pomegranate open and you will find many seeds, each wrapped in a juicy, sweet-tart red pulp. These are the arils, the part we eat. They are separated into sections by thin, pale, bitter walls.

Pomegranates are eaten fresh, pressed into juice, sprinkled on salads and desserts, and used in cooking, baking and smoothies. In Middle Eastern cooking, the juice is boiled down into thick, tangy pomegranate molasses. Pomegranate juice also stains clothes and fingers very easily, so be careful when you open one!

Growing Pomegranates

Climate

Pomegranates love long, hot, dry summers and mild winters. In the United States they grow best in USDA hardiness zones 8 to 10, and some types survive a little colder. In cool, damp or very humid places, the plants may grow but often produce little or no fruit. Pick a sunny, sheltered spot protected from strong, cold winds.

Soil

Pomegranates are adaptable and can grow in many kinds of soil, from sandy to loamy, but they do best in deep, well-drained soil. They do not like to sit in waterlogged ground. A slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil works well.

Watering

Young plants need regular watering while their roots get established. Once settled, pomegranates are quite drought-tolerant, which makes them good plants for dry gardens. For the best fruit, though, give them deep, steady watering during dry spells while the fruit is growing. Uneven watering, such as a long dry spell followed by heavy watering, can make the fruits split open.

Harvest

Plants grown from cuttings often start fruiting after about two to three years. The fruit takes roughly five to seven months to ripen after flowering. Ripe pomegranates have deep color, feel heavy for their size and make a slightly metallic sound when tapped. Cut them from the branch with pruners rather than pulling. Unlike some fruits, pomegranates do not keep ripening after they are picked.

Varieties

Photo by: Vladimer Shioshvili

There are hundreds of pomegranate varieties, from tall fruiting types to tiny ornamental ones. ‘Wonderful’ is the most widely grown variety in the United States, known for its large, deep red fruit. Others include ‘Angel Red’, ‘Parfianka’ and ‘Eversweet’, which differ in sweetness, color and seed softness.

The dwarf pomegranate, P. granatum ‘Nana’, stays small and is grown mainly for its flowers and little fruits. It is popular in containers and as a bonsai, and it has received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.

Pests and Problems

The most serious pests in many regions are fruit borers. Some moths and butterflies, such as the pomegranate butterfly in Asia, lay their eggs on flowers and young fruit. The caterpillars tunnel inside and feed on the seeds, causing the fruit to rot and fall.

Other pests include aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs and leaf-footed bugs, and fungal rots can attack damaged fruit. Gardeners can help by picking off and destroying infested fruit, clearing fallen fruit, keeping plants tidy and covering young fruit with paper or mesh bags. For chemical treatments, it is best to follow advice from a local garden center or agricultural extension service, and always ask an adult to handle sprays.

Pomegranate FAQs