About 20 years ago, we visited a small town in the Hill Country and stayed in a bed and breakfast, surrounded by an old-fashioned garden. A pomegranate bush with dark orange fruit caught the setting sun, and I was struck by the simple natural beauty of the pomegranates existing side-by-side with late orange blooms. It had a timeless, peaceful quality about it that I wanted in my own landscape.
Dubbed the “apple of Carthage” by ancient Romans, the pomegranate does not look like an apple at all. Like apples, the fruit is round and the peel has rich shades, from yellow to deep orange to rustic red. But, the similarity to an apple ends there.
A strange inverted, cup-shaped organ, known as a calyx, protrudes from the blossom end. The fruit’s interior is made up of sections of bright red arils, fleshy covered seeds that are surprisingly crunchy and juicy at the same time. Although it is the juice that is most often consumed due to its high antioxidant levels, the arils themselves are often used in green salads and other dishes to add color, crunch and contrasting tartness.
The pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a small deciduous tree or bushy shrub, depending on how it is pruned. It is grown both for its culinary and its ornamental value. It has small, dark green leaves and a few thorns along its branches. Because both male and female flowers occur on the same tree, only one tree is needed to produce fruit.
Pomegranates are grown for three purposes. In the landscape, the trees and hanging fruit are beautiful, particularly in late summer and fall. In the kitchen, the juice and arils are highly prized due to their rich antioxidants and sweet-tart flavor. The juice is used in beverages and salad dressings, and arils are added to salads and other dishes as delicious red garnishes. In home décor, whole fruits are often used in flower arrangements, wreaths, and centerpieces.
Planting and growing pomegranates
Pomegranates like summers that are hot and dry, and most varieties can tolerate temperatures as low as the teens. They are not particularly picky about soil acidity and do quite well in our moderately alkaline soils.
Pomegranates can usually be obtained from local nurseries or can be propagated from hardwood cuttings in winter. Take a pencil-sized cutting and dip the cut end in rooting hormone before placing it upright in potting soil. After the cutting has developed roots, let it continue to grow for a few more weeks before transplanting in the ground in full sun. Remove weeds and grass from the planting area and mulch well.
Water your pomegranate consistently throughout the year and fertilize with a cup or two of ammonium sulfate, split into equal feedings in February, May and September.
Prune the tree to three to five trunks and maintain an open center.
The homeowner should be vigilant against thrips, whiteflies, mealy bugs and other insects. Any infestation should be treated with an approved pesticide.
In our area, a fungus can cause the fruit to split and leaves to drop. To prevent, promote good air circulation and apply a copper-based fungicide in recommended applications.
Pomegranates ripen in late summer through fall. Ripe fruit gives a metallic sound when tapped. Be sure to cut the fruit from the tree rather than pulling it.
Although it is unlikely that a pomegranate shrub in the landscape will produce much fruit in our area, its natural fall beauty earns it a place in my landscape. The setting sun on the clinging fruit means fall is here.
The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.
Victoria County Master Gardener Association
