HS44

The Pomegranate1
M.D. Sheets, M.L. Du Bois and J.G. Williamson2

• Scientific Name: Punica granatum L. Climate

• Family: Punicaceae Pomegranates can be grown in tropical to warm temperate
climates. However, the best quality pomegranate fruits are
produced in regions with cool winters and hot, dry sum-
mers. Few areas are too hot, and the pomegranate is more
cold hardy (receives less damage) than citrus. Pomegranates
vary in frost tolerance, but in some cases temperatures
down to 10°F may not severely injure the plants. Several
hundred hectares are cultivated in California and a small
commercial industry existed in Florida during the 1800’s.

Description
Normally a dense, bushy, deciduous shrub, 2-4 m (6-12
ft.) tall, the plant has slender, somewhat thorny branches.
It may be trained as a small tree reaching 7 m (20 ft.) in
height. Pomegranate is an attractive ornamental.

Pomegranate leaves are glossy, dark green, oblong to oval,

2.5-3 cm (1-1.25 in.) long. Leaves are arranged opposite or
nearly so and clustered on short branchlets.
Figure 1. The Pomegranate
Credits: Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida. Blooms are a flaming orange-red, 4-6 cm (1.5-2.5 in.) in
diameter with crinkled petals and numerous stamens.
Flowers are borne solitary or in small clusters angled
Orgin and History towards the end of branchlets.
Pomegranates are native to southeastern Europe and Asia Pomegranates are brownish-yellow to purplish-red berries
and were grown in ancient Egypt, Babylon, India, and 5 - 12 cm (2-5 in.) in diameter with a smooth, leathery skin.
Iran. Cultured extensively in Spain, pomegranates moved Fruits are spherical, somewhat flattened, with a persistent
with missionaries into Mexico and California in the 16th calyx. The calyx may be 1-6 cm (1.5-2.5 in.) long. Numer-
century. ous seeds are each surrounded by a pink to purplish-red,
juicy, subacid pulp (arils), which is the edible portion.

1. This document is HS44, one of a series of the Horticultural Sciences Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date April 1994. Reviewed
December 2008. Revised July 2013. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2. M.D. Sheets, former research assistant, M.L. DuBois, former research assistant, J.G. Williamson, professor, Horticultural Sciences Department,
JCooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to
individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national
origin, political opinions or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A&M University Cooperative
Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place , Dean
The pulp is somewhat astringent. Pomegranates in North Training and Pruning
Florida mature from July to November, but may produce
Trees tend toward a bushy habit with many suckers arising
year round in South Florida.
from the root and crown area. Tree-type plants can be
Cultivars produced by allowing only one trunk to develop. Ad-
ditional suckers should be removed frequently around main
‘Wonderful’ is grown commercially in California, having
trunk(s). Prune to produce stocky, compact framework in
been exported as cuttings from Florida. ‘Purple Seed’ and
the first 2 years of growth. Cut trees back to 60-75 cm (2-2.5
‘Spanish Ruby’ are popular dooryard cultivars.
ft.) at planting and develop three to five symmetrically
spaced scaffold limbs by pinching back new shoots, the
Propagation lowest at least 20-25 cm (8-10 in.) from the ground. Shorten
Trees are easily propagated during winter from hardwood branches to 3/5 of their length during the winter following
cuttings, 15-20 cm (6-8 in.) in length and pencil size or planting. Remove interfering branches and sprouts leaving
larger in diameter. Cuttings should be taken in February two or three shoots per scaffold branch.
or March and placed vertically in soil with the top node
exposed. Cuttings may be left in nursery rows for 1 to 2 Light, annual pruning of established trees encourages
years. Seed-propagated plants do not come true-to-type, production of good quality fruit. Remove dead or damaged
but seeds will germinate in 45-60 days. Layering is also wood during late winter months. Remove sprouts and
successful but more labor-intensive. suckers as they appear.

Soils Special Considerations

Pomegranates produce best on deep, heavy loams, but are Pomegranate trees are self-fruitful. That is, they can
adapted to many soil types from pure sand to heavy clay. pollinate themselves. Severe fruit drop during the plant’s
Yields are usually low on sands, while fruit color is poor on juvenile period (3-5 years) is not uncommon. Fruit drop is
clays. Growth on alkaline soils is poor. Optimum growth aggravated by practices favoring vegetative growth such as
is associated with deep, fairly heavy, moist soils in the pH over-fertilization and excess irrigation. Avoid putting young
range of 5.5-7.0. trees under conditions of stress. Fruit drop is less severe on
mature trees than on younger trees.
Irrigation
Water requirements for pomegranate are about the same Pests
as for citrus--125-150 cm (50-60 in.) per year. Trees should The most destructive disease observed on trees in Florida
be irrigated every 7-10 days in the absence of significant causes a leaf blotch and fruit spot. Leaf symptoms include
rainfall. Maintain adequate soil moisture in late summer small, circular to angular, dark, reddish-brown to black
and early fall to reduce potential fruit splitting. Pomegran- areas, 4-5 mm (0.25 in.) in diameter. Infected leaves are
ates are tolerant of some flooding. pale green and fall prematurely. Fruit symptoms are small,
conspicuous, dark brown spots, initially circular, becoming
Planting and Spacing irregular. At least three sprays per year of neutral copper
fungicide gives desired control. Scale mites occasionally
Plant trees in early spring (February - March), avoiding late
attack the plant, but these do little damage. Sulfur dust
frost. Soil should be loosely worked and not too wet. When
applied in early June offers good mite control. Scale insects
used as a hedge, plants are spaced 2-3 m (6-9 ft.) apart.
can be controlled by an application of 3% oil spray during
Suckers will fill spaces and produce a compact hedge. Spac-
the winter when the leaves are not present.
ings of 5-6 m (15-18 ft.) between plants and rows are used
for orchards and similar spacings should be maintained for Dr. Bill Castle, professor emeritus, Horticultural Sciences
dooryard trees. Department, IFAS, University of Florida has developed a
pomegranate website for Florida, http://www.crec.ifas.ufl.
Fertilization edu/extension/pomegranates, that contains more detailed
Young trees should receive about 1 kg (2-2.5 lb.) of 8-8-8 information on pomegranate botany, culture, cultivars,
(or similar) fertilizer in November and March. Mature trees nurseries, grower associations, and other information.
require 2-3 kg (4.5-6.5 lb.) of a similar fertilizer at the same Those interested in learning more about pomegranates in
intervals. Excessive or late applications tend to delay fruit Florida are encouraged to view this website.
maturity and reduce color and quality.

The Pomegranate 2