skip to main content

Gardening in the UK

How hardy are pomegranates?

20 years ago

I sowed a few pomegranate seeds last autumn, and one of them germinated indoors. I moved it out to the greenhouse in spring and it's growing on healthily in a pot now. It is tempting to plant it out in the garden, but is this a wise idea? I don't know how hardy they are in the winter. I am on a hilltop so I'm not in a frost pocket. Would it be OK outside or should I keep it in a pot and just keep it in an unheated greenhouse over winter? Or would it be something that would be OK to plant out after growing on for a couple of years? I know there is a dwarf cultivar Nana that is supposed to be hardier but it's definitely not that type - the seed came from a normal large pomegranate fruit.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

shrubs_n_bulbs
20 years ago
They are potentially hardy to about -10C but only for short periods. Already grown outdoors in the southwest, possibly other places too. Sensitive to late frosts. Needs a long warm summer to ripen the fruit. The fruit can't be ripened off the tree. Doesn't fruit well in summer humidity. Sensitive to dry rot and soft rot from wet summer conditions. Best as an ornamental in this country.
lori_londonuk
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks. I wasn't really expecting fruit though it would be good to have some of the flowers. It would probably survive as I think around -5 is usually the maximum here, but all the same I'll probably overwinter it in the greenhouse for at least a couple more years.
Related Discussions
Hardy pomegranate
Q
Comments (3)
I have a few pomegranate varieties from Afghanistan. Im not sure how hardy they are, but it gets well below zero and snows where they came from. Also in a few weeks Ill be getting some seeds from Italy and Croatia. The Italians should be hardy because it also snows and freezes where they come from. I have some pictures posted on a website. Im open to trade for pomegranates and other fruit trees. Here is a link that might be useful: Pomegranate club
...See More
Where to buy hardy pomegranates?
Q
Comments (24)
Well,I'm in zone6b/7 depending on which map you look at and, for what its worth, my "Russian Hardy" were doing great all winter even with a 12 degree low a couple of times, started budding out like gangbusters when we had an early spring, then when the blizzard and 20 degree lows hit just as they were budding out, they died back to the ground. ;( But, good news is they are coming back from the roots. But, that won't matter much if they do that every year. Oh well, guess we'll see what happens next year.
...See More
Hardy pomegranate
Q
Comments (19)
My 3 potted poms haven't put on much growth at all in their second year. When I saw Parfianka (one of the 3, along with Granada and Red Silk) described as "Zone 7 - 9. (warm 6 perhaps)" on EL, I decided to plant it (see pic below). It's a wet spot at the bottom of the yard, so I built up the soil under it and mounded the soil around it (mulch TBD). The fabric container was falling apart anyway, so I would have had to re-pot it soon if I didn't plant it. It's on the North side of the fence, so that should block most of the winter sun, helping to keep it dormant. I've also ordered a Salavatski from Isons, which I'll plant in the same general area.
...See More
hardy pomegranate recomendations (from UC davis)
Q
Comments (15)
At my house, I grow Wonderful (12/2006), Russian (Edible Landscape 5/07), Sweet (2/09), Parfianka (2/09), Desertnyl (2/09), Eversweet (2/09), Pink Satin (3/09), Grenada(2/11), Fleschmann (2/2011), Texas Red (11/11). All get 8+ hours of sun. At my old office, Phils Sweet (5/07), Russian (5/07), Sweet (4/08), Angel Red (4/08), Grenada (4/08), Ambrosia (4/09), Lots of shade here. New office: Angel Red (2/10), Desertnyl (3/10), Eversweet (3/10), Garnet Sash 9Parfianka) (2/20), Grenada (2/2010), Sweet (2/10), TexasPink(1/10). Lots of sun. Re Alkalinity: Richard Ashton's website says some references state poms like acidic to neutral soil, but he believes slightly alkaline is OK. To plant some shrubs beside my house I had to rent a jackhammer to cut through the limestone 6" beneath the soil. The poms have more soil, but Im sure the limestones underneath. One of the better Nurseries here, Doans, has stopped selling Wonderfull because they taste bitter. They still sell Sweet.
...See More
shrubs_n_bulbs
20 years ago
Some cultivars are specifically intended as ornamentals, they have nicer flowers and not so nice fruit :)
pineresin
20 years ago
They'll take much lower than -10C, more like -20C, but only with dry conditions (so no winter root rot), and very hot summers (30 to 45C every day for several months) to ripen the wood fully. A typical semi-desert continental climate plant.

Resin
Suiko
20 years ago
They seem to survive well here in Oxfod in protected spots (and we are well known for v cold nights in winter - we get -10 or so every year)
richardbees
15 years ago
I've had a tree for three years which is kept in an unheated GH over winter. It produced one golfball sized fruit last year which ripened however this year's two fruits, twice as big, didn't.

It's worth growing just for the stunning red flowers which cover the tree for months....

Related Stories

FARM YOUR YARD If You Have Room for Only One Fruit Tree ...

Juice up a small garden with one of these easier-care or worth-the-effort fruit trees for a mild climate

GARDENING GUIDES Fall Is Calling: What to Do in Your October Garden

By Annie Thornton

Get a jump on winter prep or just sit back and watch the leaves fall. The beauty of an autumn garden is in all the choices you have

SAVING WATER Xeriscape Gardens: How to Get a Beautiful Landscape With Less Water

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Conserve water and make gardening much easier with the xeriscape approach’s 7 principles

FALL GARDENING 11 Trees for Brilliant Fall Color

By Marianne Lipanovich

Give your landscape the quintessential look of autumn with the red, orange and yellow leaves of these standouts

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Get a Mediterranean-Style Garden Even Far From the Sea

Some lavender here, a water feature there, and your garden just might feel transported to a balmy seaside locale

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Passiflora Incarnata

By Ginny Stibolt

Enjoy the amazing flowers and edible fruit of U.S. native Passiflora incarnata (also known as maypop) — the butterflies sure do

GARDEN STYLES Lay of the Landscape: 12 Elements of Provence Garden Style

By Vanessa Cottin

With their lavender fields, stone walls and meandering pathways, the gardens of Provence brim with charm and beauty

MOST POPULAR Spring Gardens Are Blooming — Here’s What to Do in April

By Annie Thornton

Get the guide you need for gardening in your U.S. region, with tasks, climate-appropriate plantings and more

GARDENING GUIDES Edible Plants That Double as Ornamentals

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Try growing these tasty plants with your ornamentals for an attractive garden and fresher meals

GARDENING GUIDES Yes, You Can Grow an Edible Garden on a Hot, Dry Site

Difficult garden spots don’t need to deter you from planting trees, herbs and other delicious food plants

Sponsored

Buckeye Basements, Inc.

40 Reviews

Central Ohio's Basement Finishing ExpertsBest Of Houzz '13-'21