The Popular Pomegranate

The pomegranate is a lovely landscape plant that is also prized for its delicious fruit. This is a fruit with an interesting historical background dating back to gardens in ancient China, and later, Greek and Roman gardens. Always, it was grown predominately for the fruit, but also for its beauty. The pomegranate has been a motif in ancient art, textiles, porcelain, and other art forms.

It can be grown as a small shrub/tree form or as an espalier. The bright, fleshy red blossoms are quite stunning to look at. The different varieties of fruit are even more showy (and wonderful to eat).

Pomegranates need full sun and love heat. They can be in part shade, but the flower/fruit production will increase in the sun. They perform best with seasonal feedings in November and March each year. Maintain a good amount of mulch or compost under the plant out to its drip line to help soil stay moist and prevent fruit splitting. This will maintain a healthy pomegranate and encourage fruiting.

You can grow pomegranate as a small-scale, multi-stemmed tree. It is beautiful enough to hold its own as a specimen plant in the garden. Pomegranates also are very showy when grown in espalier form on a wall of your home, garden or fence. The fruit not only tastes great but has many health benefits, too. It’s the perfect time to plant pomegranates, so come in and get yours today!