Best pomegranate varieties to grow in your garden & pots (Plus how to prune, water and fertilize)
Pomegranate (Punica granatum),one of the most ancient fruit crops still grown today, has been cultivated for millennia. Many scholars believe it was the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Found in the tomb of Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut’s butler, (even her butler got his own tomb!) and referenced several times in the Bible, it was one of the first fruit crops to be domesticated in the Middle East and Mediterranean.
It’s also central to the ancient Greek story of the seasons. Persephone, who was abducted into the Underworld by Hades, was to be returned to the Earth’s surface, but Hades first tricked her into eating pomegranate seeds, and consuming Underworld food was forbidden. For each seed, she was forced to stay a month each year down below with Hades. During those (winter) months, Persephone’s mother Demeter, goddess of agriculture, mourns her absence, and so the Earth is dormant until she returns.
Native to Persia (modern-day Iran) and surrounding areas, it was one of the first fruit crops to be domesticated in those regions and the Mediterranean. Kandahar, Afghanistan is famous for its quality pomegranates.
It also thrives in the dry, Mediterranean-type climates of California and Arizona. Spanish missionaries brought the pomegranate to North American soon after Cortez conquered Mexico in 1521. As the missions moved up north to California, so did pomegranates as they were a staple in the mission gardens, thriving in the warm, arid climate so similar to it’s native roots.
Pomegranate tree (Punica granatum) growing near ruins in Cordoba, Spain. Pomegranates are an ancient fruit crop and one of the first to be domesticated in the Middle East and Mediterranean. Photo credit - Shutterstock.
Much to love about pomegranates
Pomegranates are multi-functional. They’re delicious, nutritious, and ornamental. They’re a win-win all around, unless you manage to spray your new favorite white T-shirt with its’ ruby-red juice. #beentheredonethat
They also do double-duty as holiday decor since they’re in season during winter and look great alongside the rest of your red-tinged holiday Christmas accessories.
Pomegranate with holiday treats makes for a beautiful and delicious seasonal spread. Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
Pomegranates are also very nutritious. Pomegranate seeds are high in heart-healthy fiber and vitamin C & K. The seeds and juice are full of anti-oxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties as well.
Pomegranate seeds are delicious and high in anti-oxidants. Photo by Magalie De Preux on Unsplash
They have a sweet-tart taste and are great eaten alone, tossed in salads, made into a vinaigrette or molasses drizzled over lamb, beef, salmon, or pasta. A personal fav of mine is tossing seeds with butternut squash ravioli, toasted nuts, and parmesan. Bonus - they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to seven months.
Pomegranate salad with avocado. Photo by Edgar Castrejon on Unsplash
And last but definitely not least - they make excellent Christmas holiday cocktails! (see recipe below)
Pomegranates for different climates
Pomegranates grow best in areas with cool, mild winters and hot, arid summers, thriving in USDA growing zones 8 to 10. That means warm, inland areas of California, Arizona, and similar climates in the US will produce the most fruit.
California & Arizona - ideal pomegranate climates
California is essentially the only location in the US where the pomegranate fruit quality is high enough for large-scale commercial production, specifically in the San Joaquin Valley (where I grew up) although there is limited production in Arizona now.
Punica ‘Wonderful’ is a popular, long-lived, and improved variety with a fountain-like habit and large, purple-red fruit with a deliciously tangy flavor. It is good for making juice and cold hardy to zone 8. It is almost exclusively the variety used for commercial production. Other great options similar to ‘Wonderful’ include ‘Parfianka’ and ‘Purple Heart’.
I also have to give a shout-out to Punica granatum ‘Granada’ from my own garden. I was initially seduced by the variety name ‘Granada’ at the nursery (Granada, Spain is one of my favorite cities with it’s iconic Alhambra palace) but this plant more than delivered with numerous, large, delicious fruit.
Punica granatum 'Granada' is a bud mutation of 'Wonderful', described as having darker red flowers and earlier ripening, even as early as August, but mine ripens more like September-October here in Napa, CA.
Pomegranates in coastal climates
In cooler, more coastal locations, pomegranates may grow and bloom but not necessarily produce fruit. Don’t fret though, growing a pomegranate just for its fiery orange (or white, pink, or red) flowers is well worth it! In fact, there are certain varieties grown just for their ornamental flowers and colorful but inedible fruit, and often compact sizes.
For coastal, cooler climate gardens with mild summers, check out an early maturing type, like ‘Golden Globe’. Other options are Punica ‘Chico’ or P. ‘Toyosho’.
Pomegranates prefer hot, arid climates with mild winters. If you live in a cooler, more coastal area, they can still be grown for their beautiful, tubular flowers. Photo by Sarangib at Pixabay.
If you live in a colder climate though and are pining for your own pomegranate, (and who could blame you) we have options:
Option 1 - Cold-hardy pomegranate variety
Punica Russian 26’ is a cold-tolerant variety imported here from Russia (surprise!) by a scientist there whose career was spent trying to breed cold-tolerant pomegranates. After the fall of the USSR, his research funding was cut off, so he worked with other plant scientists throughout the world to house his stock. It has produced fruit as far north as Lancaster PA when planted against a south facing wall. ‘Russian 26’ is tolerant down to 3 degrees F and is as tolerant of heat and humidity as the cold, making it a good choice for the South. It can be safely grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 6b through 11. ‘Salavatski’ was imported from Afghanistan and is reported to be safely cold hardy to USDA Zone 6 with abundant, very large red fruit.
Option 2 - Containerized pomegranate overwintered indoors
You may overwinter your pomegranate indoors in a large container, protecting it from temperatures below 25 degrees F. If you have a sunny spot to do this, it can be a nice addition to your indoor space for a few months. If kept above 55 degrees F, it will likely keep most of its leaves. It can also be kept in a basement or garage so long as the temperature doesn’t drop below 25 degrees F. It will drop most of it’s leaves and go dormant. Reduce watering, but don’t let it dry out completely while overwintering.
‘Red Silk’ produces excellent tasting fruit and is a good choice for containers due to its smaller size of 6’ to 8’ max when planted in the ground.
Punica ‘Nana’ is a dwarf pomegranate variety that is excellent in containers and good for bonsai. The trade-off through is that the fruit is not tasty, so this compact shrub should be viewed as a 3-foot ornamental more than an edible shrub.
Option 3 - Bonsai pomegranate
Pomegranates reached Japan through the silk trade route and has been admired as a bonsai tree for centuries. Their naturally twisting trunks give a gnarled and ancient appearance that’s appreciated in bonsai in addition to the bright colored flowers and fruit. They can also live for up to 200 years! Again, Punica ‘Nana’ is a good bonsai choice.
Keep it outside as long as possible, bringing it indoors when the weather turns cold as described in Option 2 above. After flowering, prune back to one or two sets of leaves. Pomegranates bloom better when root-bound, so only transplant every 3 to 4 years. (This must be why mine seems very happy crammed into a 2’ wide bed between a sidewalk and a wall.)
If you happen to live in an area where fruiting pomegranates thrive, they can be either small trees or multi-trunked shrubs. Their sizes range from 6’ to 8’ varieties to 15’ tall or more. They can be also be pruned as an espalier against a wall which serves dual purpose of keeping the plant warmer if its a south or west-facing wall that receives a lot of sun, and it confines it to a pre-determined space. (Although once upon a time my pomegranate was an espalier, but after a couple seasons of failing to prune, that pomegranate has no intention of conforming to my espalier frame.)
Garnet Sash Pomegranate growing up against a house. The warmth from the wall will provide some winter insulation in colder climates. Image by Yuliya Yuliya from Pixabay
Growing and caring for pomegranates
Pomegranate watering & fertilizing
Fortunately, pomegranates are not finicky. They will do well in most any decent, well-drained soil. Once established, they are low maintenance and drought tolerant. This makes sense since they come from arid regions of the Middle East.
Keeping your pomegranate watered during the first year is important while the roots are getting established. Once established, it still needs adequate irrigation for optimal fruit-set, especially during dry spells.
Don’t fertilize during the first year. The second year you can fertilize with a triple 10-10-10 (that refers to equal ratios of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) dividing it into three applications in late winter to early spring (after frost but before buds push), late spring, and early fall. Less is more though with fertilizer and pomegranates. Too much fertilizer (Nitrogen in particular) can produce excess foliage growth which can take energy away from fruit production.
Pomegranates (Punica granatum) are multi-trunked shrubs or small trees. Photo by Nikola Markelov on Unsplash
Pomegranate landscape form & pruning
Pomegranates need to get established in the ground for the first year. The second year and/or when its about 3’ to 4’ tall, you can begin pruning or training.
As discussed above, they can be either small trees or multi-trunked shrubs with sizes ranging from 6’ to 8’ varieties to 15’ tall or more. They can be also be pruned as an espalier against a wall.
Decide how you want to see it in the landscape - as a multi-trunk shrub or a small tree. Left to their own devices, pomegranates are multi-trunked. However, their branches or trunks are naturally twisted, so mature pomegranate trees have beautiful trunks that remind me of old olive trees. (My grandparents’ property had a very old tree with the most beautiful twisted and gnarled trunk.)
Don’t worry if you can’t decide, you really can’t go wrong since commercial producers haven’t resolved whether its better to grow as a shrub or tree for maximum fruit production, and which way they prune and grow often depends on climate and region.
SHRUB - If you want a shrub, limit it to 3 to 6 branches. If it doesn’t yet have that many yet, wait until a few more suckers (new branches) are produced, but limit it to a set amount. If allowed to sucker freely, pomegranates will put their energy into producing suckers instead of fruit.
TREE - Wait until your pomegranate is about 3’ to 4’ high. Select the most dominant branch and prune the others back to the ground.
The best time for pruning is late winter or early spring before the buds form but after risk of frost has past, since pruning stimulates growth and you don’t want new growth to be frost-damaged.
You can prune out suckers and other awkward branches as they appear throughout the growing season. Once the tree or shrub shape is formed and if maintained properly, it should require only light annual pruning.
Warning! I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention pomegranates have serious thorns. Wickedly long and narrow, they can penetrate with surprising pain, so mind your digits when handling your plant!
Pomegranate fruit harvesting
Your pomegranate will likely not produce fruit until about 3 years old (although I feel like my ‘Granada’ was more like two years, but I can’t be sure). Some ripen as early as August but many are closer to October.
When they are a deep red, use pruners to cut the branch just above fruit attachment. (Again, mind those thorns!) Don’t pull them off because this exposes the fruit causing a wound and will result in rotting sooner than otherwise (this is true of any fruit).
Pomegranates can last a long time hanging persistent on the tree, the problem though is when they’re exposed to rain. They split open from water intake exposing the fruit and then can mold. So it’s fine in my experience to leave them “hanging on the vine” until the rain comes, but when that happens, you should harvest them.
Pomegranates will last a long time sitting on the counter (where I keep mine - they look great in a bowl providing holiday color!) but can last up to seven months in the refrigerator.
Pomegranates make wonderful cocktails (recipe below), and the fruit lasts a long time, so 1 pomegranate provides many drinks. Photo by Rebeca G. Sendroiu on Unsplash
Holiday Pomegranate Lime Spritzer Cocktail
Truth-time - probably 75% of my pomegranate fruit usage from my tree goes to holiday season cocktails. I came up with this recipe last year - it’s festive, simple, and not overly sweet. Cheers!
Ingredients
1 heaping tablespoon pomegranate seeds
Juice from 1/2 lime
1.5 oz vodka
3 oz soda water
approx. 2 tsp simple syrup to taste
Ice
Lime wedge, for squeezing and garnish
Fresh mint leaves (optional)
Instructions
In a cocktail glass of choice, muddle pomegranate seeds and mint (if using) with vodka. Add ice, soda water, and simple syrup. Stir. Add lime/mint garnish. Cheers!
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