Pomegranates in Central Texas

Lisa's Landscape & Design ♦ 07/14/2010 ♦ 4 Comments

Wonderful Pomegranate, full to part sun, 12×10, drought tolerant

If you are looking for an addition to your landscape design for use as a large shrub, small tree with added benefit of great fruit, Pomegranate is a superb choice.

The pomegranate tree is native from Iran to the Himalayas in northern India and has been cultivated since ancient times throughout the Mediterranean region of Asia, Africa and Europe. Historically  the fruit was used in many ways as it is today and was featured in Egyptian mythology and art, praised in the Old Testament of the Bible and in the Babylonian Talmud, and it was carried by desert caravans for the sake of its thirst-quenching juice. It traveled to central and southern India from Iran about the first century A.D. and was reported growing in Indonesia in 1416. The tree was introduced in California by Spanish settlers in 1769. It is grown for its fruit mostly in the dry zones of that state and Arizona. In California, there is a large commercial pomegranate cultivation. However, Texas is a superb growing location for Pomegranate fruit and there are several cultivar that do well here.

There is an ornamental dwarf variety that only grows to about 3-5′. There are two common fruiting varieties that grow to about 12 or so feet and they are Wonderful (my favorite) and Granada as well as a  large ornamental variety with huge bright Orange double blooms grow to over 20′. All of these specimens have long thorny stems with small oblong olive-green leaves that run along the stem in an opposite decussate leaf pattern.

The only downside to growing Pomegranate is that they do require some pruning at the base of the plant to maintain a tree form.  They will continue to put out suckers at the root ball that you will need to trim as needed. If your yard allows for the space, no trimming is needed. The trees will become huge shrubs and cover a large amount of space while providing privacy and structure.  These plants in shrub form are virtually maintenance free once established.

Winter is the best time to plant most fruit trees except for citrus, but a good rule of thumb is if the plant is being sold during a season, that is the time to plant them. Citrus are usually sold in the Summer.  Plant your pomegranate in a hole only as deep as the container it is sold in and twice as wide as the pot. It is recommended to fertilize your pomegranates with Ammonium Sulfate for the first three years increasing the dosage each year. I didn’t do this and mine are prolific bloomers and I have so much fruit I have to find homes for it, so do what you think is best.

Each year I get nearly 100 or more fruit from two trees. We de-seed the fruit and freeze the seeds in freezer bags. Super simple to do and a great way not to have any waste, the peel or rind goes into my compost..

Pomegranate is valued for its healthy juice which contains more antioxidants than red wine, green tea, and other fruits, therefore lowering cholesterol and preventing heart attack and stroke. Beside its anti-aging capabilities, the fruit is also thought to lower blood pressure, help kidney disorders, inhibit colon, breast, skin and prostate cancer.

The dried pomegranates make beautiful flower arrangements,look lovely in a fruit bowl and keep for months.

If you are looking for a great, low maintenance shrub for your landscape design, with the benefits of fruit and spectacular flowers, this is an awesome choice.

Lisa LaPaso

Lisa’s Landscape & design ( “like” me on facebook)

“Saving the Planet One Yard at a Time”