Once considered a fruit for royalty, the pomegranate is a delicious addition to your backyard orchard or edible landscaping. Its beautiful, showy, red-orange flowers become decorative fruit in the fall.
Best known for the antioxidant-rich fruit it produces, the pomegranate shrub is widely grown throughout the Mediterranean region. Its tubular blooms begin to appear in late May and early June, providing nice spring color, while the fruit ripens from September to October. The fruit is a bit unusual, as the only edible parts are the jewel-like arils and seeds found inside.
The pomegranate fruit is a leathery skinned red sphere known as an aril. The thick aril contains several hundred juicy red edible fruits that are similar to berries. They are known for their antioxidant properties and many associated health benefits.
The pomegranate tree will adapt to either acidic or alkaline soil, though it prefers something in the range of 5 to 7 pH. Add plenty of organic well-rotted compost to your soil, as this will both improve drainage and also improve the quality of the soil, providing much-needed nutrients to the pomegranate tree.
The pomegranate tree is drougt tolerant and can be grown in a dry area and in areas where there is good rainfail. It is best not to plant in wet areas as they are prone to root decay for fungal diseases. They also tolerate dipping temperatuares down to about 10 degrees but should be planted in an area of protection from direct winter winds.
