Shrub · Lythraceae
Pomegranate
Punica granatum
Give it full sun and steady water, and the pomegranate rewards you with jewel-red fruit each fall.
Full sun
Every 7–10 days
150–210 days
USDA 7–10
Overview
The pomegranate is an old fruiting shrub, grown around the Mediterranean and the Middle East for thousands of years and carried far beyond since. It earns its keep two ways at once, with glowing red-orange flowers in summer and fruit full of jewel-like arils in fall. Left to its own devices it grows as a multi-trunked shrub, though many gardeners train it to a few clean stems.
It asks for little once it settles in. A spot in full sun, ground that drains well, and a deep drink every week or so through the dry months are most of what it needs. The plant shrugs off drought and a fair bit of cold, with hardy types holding on through Zone 7, but it does want a long warm season to ripen a good crop.
The two things that catch growers out are splitting fruit and a forest of suckers. Both come down to habit rather than bad luck: keep the watering even and cut the suckers as they rise, and the shrub stays handsome and productive for decades.
Care
The short version: plant it in full sun and well-drained soil, water deeply every 7 to 10 days and keep that moisture even as the fruit ripens, prune lightly in late winter, and pull suckers as they come.
Light
Pomegranates want full sun, at least 6 hours of direct light a day, to flower and fruit well. They tolerate a little partial shade, but the shadier the spot the fewer blossoms you get, and fewer blossoms means less fruit.
Water
Once established the plant is drought tolerant, yet even watering still matters. Give it a deep soak every 7 to 10 days when rain is short, and keep that moisture steady through late summer and fall, since sudden swings are what split the ripening fruit.
Soil
Plant in well-drained loamy soil, which it prefers, though it puts up with many soil types as long as they don't stay wet. Aim for a pH between 5.5 and 7.0 and steer clear of heavy ground that holds water around the roots.
Temperature
It handles a wide range, from about 10°F to 104°F (-12°C to 40°C). Hard cold can kill it back to the ground, while a long stretch of summer heat is exactly what ripens the fruit.
Humidity
The plant likes it dry, around 20% to 50% humidity. Damp, muggy air is the enemy here, because it sets the stage for the anthracnose that rots fruit in humid regions.
Feeding
Feed with a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer through spring and summer, using about 1 pound per 3 feet of plant height split between March and July. That seasonal feed is plenty to keep a settled plant cropping.
Pruning
Prune in late winter before new growth starts. Clear out suckers, dead wood, and crossing branches, and keep the cuts light, since the fruit forms on 2 to 3 year old wood and heavy pruning trades away your harvest.
Repotting
Only container-grown dwarf forms need this, every 2 to 3 years. Repot when you see roots circling the pot, water running straight through, or growth stalling. Mature in-ground plants are never repotted.
Size & spacing
A full-size pomegranate runs from 12 to 20 feet (3.7 to 6 m) tall with a spread of 8 to 20 feet (2.4 to 6 m), so give it real room. Dwarf cultivars stay far smaller and suit pots and tight corners.
When to plant
Pomegranates run on a long, warm season. Set plants out in spring once the last frost has passed, let the flowers open from late spring through fall, and pick the fruit from August into October, roughly 6 to 7 months after bloom.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: spring after the last frost
- Harvest: blooms late spring through fall; fruit harvested August to October, about 6 to 7 months after bloom
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 7–10
Temperature: down to -18°C
Troubleshooting
Most pomegranate trouble shows up on the fruit or around the base of the plant. Catch the early signs and the fix is usually a small change to how you water or prune. Match what you see below, then act before it spreads.
Sunken, rotting lesions on fruit in muggy weather
This is anthracnose, a fungus that thrives in warm, wet air and rots the fruit before it can ripen. It is the main reason pomegranates struggle in humid regions. Open the plant up for better airflow, keep water off the fruit, pull and destroy anything infected, and reach for resistant cultivars where summers stay sticky.
Fix:
- Improve air circulation and avoid overhead wetting
- Remove and destroy infected fruit
- Choose disease-resistant cultivars in humid regions
Fruit splitting open as it ripens
Pomegranate skins split when a dry spell is broken by heavy rain or a long soak, and the swelling fruit outgrows its rind. This is a moisture-swing problem, not a disease. Keep the soil evenly moist from late summer into fall, lay down 2 to 3 inches of mulch, and ease off watering slowly as the fruit matures rather than all at once.
Fix:
- Maintain consistent, even soil moisture through late summer and fall
- Apply a 2 to 3 in organic mulch layer to buffer moisture
- Reduce irrigation gradually as fruit matures rather than abruptly
Sparse flowers, weak fruit set, and dropping fruit
Two things usually explain a shy pomegranate: too much shade, and youth. A plant in partial shade flowers poorly, and one under three years old simply hasn't settled in enough to carry a real crop. Move it into full sun, hold off on heavy pruning that strips fruiting wood, and give it until about year three before judging it.
Fix:
- Site in full sun (6+ hours direct light)
- Be patient; better fruiting typically begins around year three
- Avoid heavy pruning that removes fruiting wood
A thicket of suckers crowding the base
Pomegranates throw up suckers from the roots and crown on their own, and left alone they turn a tidy shrub into a tangle. Cut them off at the base whenever they appear. Decide early whether you want a few clean trunks or a full multi-stem shrub, then prune to that shape.
Fix:
- Remove suckers regularly at the base
- Train to a few main trunks or allow as a multi-stem shrub
Toxicity
The part you eat is the safe part. The arils and juice are wholesome for people, but the bitter rind, bark, and roots hold tannins that can give cats and dogs an upset stomach if they get into the peel or gulp down a lot of fruit. Keep the scraps and peels out of reach of pets and grazing animals.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Safe for
People
Cats Mild
A few arils won't hurt, but the rind and tannin-heavy pith can leave a cat with an upset stomach. Watch for vomiting or loose stools if it chews on the peel or eats a lot of fruit.
Dogs Mild
Dogs handle the sweet arils fine, yet the tannins in the rind tend to bring on vomiting or diarrhea when eaten in quantity. The seeds and tough peel can also choke a small dog or lodge in the gut.
Horses Caution
There is no record of pomegranate poisoning horses, but the bitter, tannin-rich rind and bark are best kept out of reach since a big helping could turn the stomach.
Rabbits Caution
The fruit isn't poisonous, though the tannins and sugar sit poorly with a rabbit's gut. Skip the rind entirely and treat the arils as a rare nibble at most.
Livestock Caution
Goats, sheep, and cattle aren't truly poisoned by pomegranate, but the astringent rind and bark can cause loose stools or a dull appetite if they browse on it heavily.
Birds Caution
Many birds enjoy the ripe arils without trouble. The rind carries the tannins worth avoiding, so offer only clean fruit and not the peel.
People Fruit safe
The juicy arils and the juice are a healthy treat, eaten fresh or pressed. The rind and bark are bitter and astringent and aren't meant to be eaten.
Keep peels and large amounts of fruit away from cats and dogs; a few arils are not toxic but the rind and tannins are the irritating parts.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Pomegranates come in everything from a 20-foot shrub to a 2-foot dwarf. These are the ones you are most likely to find and grow.
Wonderful
The leading commercial pomegranate, prized for its large, deep red fruit packed with juicy arils, and the standard most others are measured against.
Nana
A compact dwarf that tops out at just 2 to 3 feet, making it the one to grow in a container or a small corner of the garden.
Salavatski (Russian series)
A cold-hardy selection said to hold on down to about Zone 6, which pushes the plant into colder gardens than most varieties can handle.
State Fair
A tidy cultivar reaching about 5 feet that crops reliably with smaller fruit, a good fit where space is tight.
How to propagate
Pomegranates are easy to multiply, and the method you pick decides whether you get a copy of the parent or a roll of the genetic dice.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Winter (dormant season, January to February) · Roots in one growing season; 1 to 2 years in nursery rows before transplanting
Cuttings are the surest way to get a plant just like the parent. Take pencil-thick hardwood pieces about 8 to 10 inches long during dormancy, dust the base with rooting hormone, and push them halfway into a moist soilless mix. They root over a single growing season, then spend a year or two in nursery rows before they are ready to move.
SeedModerate
Spring · Germinates in a few weeks; several years to first fruit
Seed works but rarely gives you the plant you wanted. Sow in spring and the seeds sprout within a few weeks, yet the seedlings come up variable and seldom match the parent cultivar, and they make you wait several years for the first fruit.
LayeringModerate
Spring to summer · One growing season to root before separating
Layering is the patient gardener's trick. Bend a low, flexible branch down, pin it to the soil from spring through summer, and it roots in place over one growing season. Once rooted, sever it from the parent and transplant the new plant.
Myths
Pomegranates are toxic and poisonous to dogs and cats.
Pomegranate isn't on the ASPCA's toxic list, and Pet Poison Helpline treats it as a mild irritant rather than a true poison. The trouble comes from the tannin-rich rind and overeating, which bring on vomiting or loose stools. A few arils are harmless; the peel is the part to keep away from pets.
You need two pomegranate plants to set fruit.
Pomegranates are self-pollinating, so a single plant fruits on its own with no partner nearby. A second shrub may nudge the yield up a little, but it is never a requirement.