Read here in the commented profile whether a pomegranate tree is hardy. Compact tips explain how to properly plant, care for and cut Punica granatum in Germany.
How hardy is a pomegranate tree?
A pomegranate tree (Punica granatum) is partially hardy and can withstand temperatures down to -15°C for a short time. Planting outdoors is possible in winter hardiness zone 7 (e.g. lowlands, wine-growing regions, river valleys, North Sea coast). Nevertheless, winter protection or cultivation in a bucket is recommended.
Profile
- Scientific name: Punica granatum
- Family: Loosestrife (Lythraceae)
- Occurrence: Western, Central Asia, Mediterranean region
- Growth: shrub, small tree
- Growth height: 150 cm to 500 cm
- Winter hardiness: conditionally hardy
- Leaf: deciduous, lanceolate
- Flower: bell-shaped
- Fruit: false fruit with chambers
- Fruit properties: edible
- Harvest time: October to December
- Use: Mediterranean garden, potted plant
Winter hardiness
Where do pomegranates grow? The answer determines whether you plant Punica granatum in a container or bed. A look at the Asian and Mediterranean distribution area leaves no doubt: the pomegranate tree is partially hardy. Whether you cultivate the shrub as a container plant or plant it out depends on these requirements:
- Planting a pomegranate tree outdoors: possible in winter hardiness zone 7 (lowlands, wine-growing regions, river valleys, North Sea coast)
- Short-term minimum temperature: – 15° Celsius
Pomegranate plants only survive the minimum temperature for a few hours. Because even mild regions in Germany are not immune to capricious weather (see the bitterly cold winter of 2021), winter protection should always be at hand. You can read more about this in our care instructions below.
Growth
In their natural location, pomegranates thrive as large shrubs or trees. The numerous branches are initially angular, later rounded and have red-brown to gray-brown bark. Side branches often end with a thorn. The following overview summarizes the dimensions of growth:
- Growth type: bushy shrub or small tree with richly branched crown
- Growth height when planted in the garden: 400 cm to 500 cm
- Growth height as a potted plant: 150 cm to 300 cm, rarely up to 400 cm
In Germany, pomegranates are preferably cultivated as a bush, as the following video demonstrates:
Video: SWR garden expert Volker Kugel plants a pomegranate tree
Bloom
Depending on how it was overwintered, orange-red, bell-shaped flowers with a diameter of 2 cm to 4 cm open in early summer or summer. Hobby gardeners appreciate that the colorful flowers are hermaphrodite. In a small garden, on a balcony or terrace, one bush is enough for a rich harvest of exotic pomegranates.
Leaf
The leaves on the pomegranate tree are colorful throughout the year. These characteristics characterize the foliage:
- Leaf color: bronze-colored when shooting, later shiny dark green above, matt green below
- Autumn color: golden yellow
- Leaf shape: short-stalked, elliptical to lanceolate
- Leaf size: 2 cm to 9 cm long, 1 cm to 2 cm wide
- Texture: waxy, leathery
- Arrangement: opposite to whorled
Fruit
Pomegranates grow as pseudofruits. These form sepals, carpels and flower base to form a capsule with several chambers. There are numerous seeds in each chamber, covered in red, juicy pulp. The fruit skin is crowned by a tip of calyx lobes and bursts open when fully ripe. The following table provides an overview of fruit properties worth knowing:
| Pomegranate fruits | Information per fruit | Nutrients | 100 g pulp each | Nutritional values | 100 grams of pulp each |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 5 cm to 12 cm | Vitamin C | 7 mg | Calorie | 78 kcal |
| Shape | spherical, apple-like | Vitamin E | 0, 2 mg | Fat | 0, 6g |
| Weight | 150 g to 500 g | Potassium | 220 mg | Carbohydrates | 16g |
| color | green, later orange-red to yellow-brown | Calcium | 8 mg | Protein | 0, 7g |
| Seeds | edible | Magnesium | 3 mg | Fiber | 2, 2 g |
| Number of seeds | 200 to 1000 | Iron | 0, 5 mg | ||
| Fruit ripeness | 130 to 200 days | Zinc | 0, 3 mg |
You can eat the pulp and seeds raw as a fruit salad or freshly squeezed pomegranate juice. Pomegranate wine is also made from the he althy juice. Pomegranate adds a fruity note to meat and game dishes.
Planting a pomegranate tree
You can buy and plant a pomegranate as a tree or shrub in specialist stores. Two recommended shopping sources are 'Flora Tosakana' and 'Pflanzmich.de'. Experienced hobby gardeners treat themselves to the green fun factor by growing a pomegranate themselves. The following sections explain both variants in a compact and comprehensible manner.
draw pomegranate
We recommend the cutting method for propagation. In contrast to sowing seeds, the fruit qualities of the mother plant are retained. Furthermore, a Punica bush propagated from cuttings flowers and bears fruit in its third or fourth year. How to do it right:
- Best time is in early summer
- Cut 15 cm long, semi-lignified cuttings
- Fill pots with potting soil and moisten
- Defoliate two thirds of the cuttings
- Dip the interface in rooting powder
- Put the leafless shoot section into the ground
- Keep constantly slightly moist in a bright, warm location
Care for the cuttings by overwintering them behind glass. As soon as the future pomegranate trees have rooted through the nursery pot, repot your pupils. With a height of 20 to 30 centimeters, you can plant the shrub in a bed or a pot. Regularly trimming the shoots encourages the plant to branch out bushy.
Location
Pomegranate plants are sun worshipers and love the warmth. At this location the exotic beauties thrive in all their splendor:
- Full sunny, warm location with at least six hours of sunshine per day
- Planted trees always have a sunny house wall or dry stone wall in the floral back.
- In the pot, preferably protected from wind and rain.
- Soil texture: sandy-dry to fresh, with good drainage when it rains
- Substrate quality: loose, permeable, with mineral content (expanded clay, lava granules, quartz sand)
A pomegranate tree also thrives in a shady location. However, the shrub does not bloom or bear fruit in this location.
Planting a pomegranate tree
Plant a pomegranate tree with drainage. In the bed, please sprinkle the bottom of the planting pit with grit, lava mulch or pebbles. In the bucket, cover the bottom of the pot 3 to 5 centimeters high with expanded clay or lava granules. A starter fertilizer made from horn shavings and compost soil gets the growth going. Simply mix the organic fertilizer into the soil or the pot substrate.
Measure the planting depth so that the tree disc is flush with the surrounding soil. Then form a small wall with soil so that irrigation water reaches the roots and does not run off unused. Ideally, you should place potted plants in the planter with a 3 centimeter high watering edge.
Care for pomegranate tree
Caring for a pomegranate plant is characterized by high water and nutrient requirements during the growth phase. An occasional pruning serves to maintain the shape. If a pomegranate tree is given the right wintering, it can grow very old, even in Germany. The following sections explain the details:
Pouring
Water your pomegranate tree whenever the soil feels dry. In a full sun location, this may be necessary daily, especially when the shrub is flowering and fruiting. The plant survives short-term drought better than waterlogging. However, if you allow the tree to endure a longer, dry phase, the leaves will fall off in droves.
Fertilize
From March to September, please add an organic liquid fertilizer to the irrigation water once a week. Fertilize planted pomegranates in March and June with 3 liters of ripe compost and 100 grams of horn shavings per square meter. From the beginning of October, stop supplying nutrients so that the shoots mature before winter.
Cutting the pomegranate tree
Annual pruning is not necessary and does not contribute to a higher crop yield. The following tips on occasional pruning care explain when and how to prune a pomegranate tree:
- Tree or shrub has become too big: cut back excessively long shoots before putting them away for winter quarters
- Tree crown bare: Thin out tree crown in early spring
- Shrub becomes an impenetrable undergrowth: cut off the oldest ground shoots at the base in February
- Pruning: saw off thick branches on astring, cut branches at buds or sleeping eyes
It is important to note that a pruning appointment in spring removes the flower buds that have already formed.
Excursus
Cutting pomegranate fruit correctly, briefly explained
Cut off the base of the fruit with a sharp knife. Inside you can see the white partitions between the fruit chambers. Score the shell a few millimeters deep along these dividers. Pull the pomegranate apart so that the fruit chambers separate from the stalk. You can easily remove the pomegranate seeds and pulp by hand under running water over a sieve without leaving any nasty stains.
Wintering
You can overwinter a pomegranate tree like an olive tree. Both trees are native to the Mediterranean and have a similarly limited winter hardiness. You can read the best tips for successful wintering here:
- Container plant: put away late in the bright, frost-free winter quarters with 5° to 10° Celsius (the cooler, the darker it can be).
- Care in the winter quarters: water sparingly and do not fertilize
- In the bed: Mulch the tree disc with leaves and coniferous twigs, cover it with a hood of winter fleece, wrap the trunk with jute.
- Winter care in the bed: water when there is frost on mild days, remove the protective cover when temperatures are above freezing.
Popular varieties
If you buy a pomegranate tree in Germany, you have the choice between dwarf varieties, fruit varieties and ornamental varieties:
- Punica granatum Nana: Dwarf pomegranate tree with orange-red flowers and 2 m tall, beautiful as a container plant.
- Wonderful: the best-known variety in the USA impresses with orange flowers and deep red pomegranates.
- Nero: Rarity with black-skinned pomegranates that contain juicy, red-black pulp.
- Dente di Cavallo: Premium variety for the hobby garden, reliable, robust, long-lasting with medium-sized, delicious fruits.
- Mollar de Elche: delights with juicy pulp and soft seeds that you can eat.
- Flore Pleno: strong-growing ornamental pomegranate bears lush double flowers, does not set fruit, more sensitive to frost than fruit varieties.
- Legrellei: opulent ornamental variety with romantic floral splendor of densely double, orange-red flowers with white-ruffled edges, requires winter quarters.
FAQ
My pomegranate tree isn't blooming. What’s the matter?
If a pomegranate tree keeps its flowers under wraps, there are various reasons behind it. Pruning in spring removes buds that have already formed. Delayed ground frosts cause the buds to freeze. Nitrogen-based, mineral fertilization promotes growth at the expense of flower formation.
How can you grow a pomegranate tree yourself?
The easiest way to grow a pomegranate tree is from cuttings that you cut in early summer and care for over the winter. Sowing pomegranate seeds is more complicated. The seeds germinate within two weeks in lean potting soil at a constant 20° Celsius. However, the first flowering period takes several years to arrive.
Is a pomegranate tree hardy?
Pomegranate plants are partially hardy. In concrete terms, this means that the trees can survive short-term frosts of -10° to -15° Celsius undamaged. A young pomegranate tree in a pot is at risk of frost damage even at temperatures around freezing point.
