pomegranate (Punica granatum) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Pomegranate is a shrub or small tree grown in orchards and home gardens in warm parts of the United States. Its leathery fruit has a crown-shaped flower cup on top. Inside are hundreds of seeds, each wrapped in a juicy covering that ranges from pale pink to deep red depending on the variety.

Appearance

Growth form: It is a dense, deciduous shrub, usually 10–12 ft (3–3.7 m) tall, though it can be trained as a small tree. The plant often has several trunks and slender, sometimes thorny branches.
Leaves: The leaves are narrow, smooth-edged, glossy, and usually opposite or clustered on short shoots.
Flowers: Orange-red flowers have a thick, waxy and crinkled petals. Some flowers set fruit, while others fall without developing one.
Fruit: The round fruit has a leathery rind and many seeds, each wrapped in a juicy aril. In Georgia, may ripen from late August through October or early November.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: orchards
home gardens
dry sunny landscapes
Range: Native to western and central Asia, pomegranate is cultivated in warm parts of the United States, especially California and the South. In coastal North Carolina it can be grown in protected places.
Preferred conditions: It needs well-drained soil and at least six hours of direct sun for good fruit color and production. Established plants tolerate heat and drought, but fruit crops still need water during long dry spells.
Seasons: In Georgia
Fruit Aug–Nov

Life cycle

Reproduction: Fruit develops on short spurs, mostly on two- or three-year-old wood.

Growing it

Care: Pomegranates handle heat well but need good drainage. Most cultivars can be injured below about 12°F (-11°C), so local cultivar choice matters in colder areas.
Propagation: Hardwood cuttings are the usual way to copy a named cultivar. Seedlings take longer to fruit and may not match the parent plant.

Name and classification

Varieties and forms: Fruit cultivars vary in rind color, aril color, acidity, sweetness, and seed hardness. ‘Wonderful’ is the main commercial cultivar in California; ornamental forms may have double flowers and little or no fruit, and ‘Nana’ is a dwarf form.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

Culture and stories

Culture and stories: Spanish settlers brought pomegranates to North America, including missions on the Georgia coast, in the 16th century.
The English name and the scientific name both point to the fruit's many seeds.

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