Perennial Fruit Tree · zones 8–10 · 24 varieties

Pomegranate

Punica granatum

Lythraceae — the only crop in its plant family here.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a perennial fruit tree for USDA zones 8–10. It wants full sun and pH 5.5–7.2 soil, with about 0.5–1 in of water weekly. First real harvest comes in 2–3 yr on a plant grown from a cutting. Watch for whiteflies and leaf spot. Below: its full sourced profile from 4 extension sources, plus a planting calendar timed to your frost dates.

Zones 8–10 — USDA USDA
Sun Full sun
Water Low
First harvest 2–3 yr — own roots own roots
Mature size 10–20 ft
Spacing 216 in
Soil pH 5.5–7.2
Frost Half hardy
When to plant pomegranatetypical · zone 6b
Your zone
…or your ZIP, for your real frost dates

Dormant
Establishing
Flowering
Fruit set
Ripening
Harvest

Typical dates for zone 6b — set your zone or ZIP for yours. Timing is a guide from the crop's sourced growth stages; confirm with your local frost dates and extension before you sow.

Growing pomegranateevery fact says where it came from

What we will not put a number on

We do not give a feeding rate for this crop, and that is deliberate rather than a gap. The figures published by extension services are pounds of nitrogen per acre for a production field — they do not convert safely to a raised bed or a pot without knowing your soil test and your fertilizer's analysis, and guessing errs toward burning roots. It is also why every chart you find online disagrees with the next one.

We give watering as a depth per week rather than gallons per plant, because that is how it is actually measured and how the published figures are written. A gallons-per-plant number depends on your spacing, your soil and whether the plant is in a pot — so it would look more precise than it is.

Site & soil

Hardiness zones
8–10
Sun
Full sun
Soil pH
5.5–7.2
Soil texture
Loam, Sandy, Clay, Well drained
Frost tolerance
Half hardy

The plant

Mature height
10–20 ft
Mature spread
8–10 ft
Growth rate
Moderateest
Spacing in row
216 in
Between rows
216 in
Planting depth
At soil levelest
Container size
5–15 gal — start at the low end, pot up as it growsest
Support
Self-supportingest
Grown from
Cutting, Transplant

Water & feeding

Water needs
Low
Water per week
0.5–1 in/wkest
Critical water
Establishment, Fruit setest
Feeding
Low

Timing & fruiting

Years to first harvest
2–3 yr
That is a plant on its own roots, struck from a cutting rather than grafted — which is how this one is normally sold.
Chill hours
150–200 hrs
Pollination
Partially self fertile
Harvest cues
Fruit coloring
Takes winter cold down to
12 °F
Winter kill below
10 °F

Edible parts per source: fruit.

What tends to go wrongmost-cited first
PestsWhitefliesMealybugsScaleAphidsLeafrollersThripsDeer
DiseasesLeaf spotFruit spotRoot rot

Compiled from the extensions cited below. Which ones actually show up depends on your region — your extension's local list is the last word.

All 24 varietiesthe ones with their own page are linked
Variety TypeHabit DaysColorSizeWhat it is known for
Al-Sirin-Nar Heirloom Hard Seed Red Large Bob Wells Nursery describes this asgives a heavy crop
Ambrosia Pink Very Large
Angel Red Soft Seed Red Large Monrovia describes this asdraws bees and butterflies
Christina Heirloom Hard Seed White Medium
Desertnyi Heirloom Soft Seed Red Small
Early Wonderful Red Large Planting Justice describes this asgets by on less water · draws bees and butterflies
Eversweet Soft Seed White Large
Golden Globe Bicolor Very Large
Granada Hard Seed White
Kashmir Blend Spreading Red Medium
Kazake Heirloom Soft Seed Bicolor Small Bob Wells Nursery describes this astakes the cold
Nana Dwarf Heirloom Ornamental Dwarf Bicolor Small Bob Wells Nursery describes this assmall enough for a pot · happy in a pot · grown to look at
Parfianka Heirloom Soft Seed Red Large
Pink Satin Red Medium
Purple Heart Purple Large
Red Silk Hard Seed Dwarf Red Medium
Salavatski Heirloom Bicolor
Sirenevyi Heirloom Soft Seed Purple Medium
Sumbar Heirloom Soft Seed Red One Green World describes this astakes the cold
Sweet Heirloom Pink Large
Texas Pink Soft Seed Pink Bob Wells Nursery describes this asgets by on less water
Utah Sweet Heirloom Soft Seed Pink Medium
Vkusnyi Heirloom Soft Seed Red Large University of Florida (Bill Castle, prepared for growables.org) records this askeeps a long time after picking
Wonderful Heirloom Red Large
Sources4 cited · 4 organizations
  • Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center
  • NC State Extension
  • University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR)
  • University of Georgia Cooperative Extension

We compile bare facts from these university-extension and horticultural sources, never copied prose. 18 of the 24 values on this page carry a citation. The rest are marked est; hover one and it says why — either nobody publishes a figure we could point at, or a person set it and attached no source. Figures vary with climate and seed source; confirm with your local extension before you buy.

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