Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

DONATE TODAY

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
1 rating

Monday - September 07, 2009

From: Albuquerque, NM
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Non-native pomegranate in Albuquerque
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

I don't know if they are now considered native or not but I am interested in planting Principia or Pomegranates in Albuquerque, windy and a mile high. Do I have a chance?

ANSWER:

We're sorry, we could find no reference to a plant named "Principia", either in our Native Plant Database nor by Googling. We can tell you the Punica granatum (pomegranate) is native to the Middle East, the Caucasus and Pakistan. Since the expertise of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is limited to plants native not only to North America but to the area in which they are being grown, we can't give you much help. We did find this article by Julia F. Morton from Purdue University Horticulture Pomegranate. That article should help you with cold tolerance and suitable soils, and we can tell you from personal observation that the plant does not withstand wind very well. This USDA Plant Profile does not show pomegranate growing in New Mexico at all.
 

More Non-Natives Questions

Difference beteen two non-native photinias from Nashville TN
June 07, 2013 - What is the difference between red tip phontinias and fireball phontinias. I read that fireballs are also called red tips but I thought that red tips grow to like 12 ft. and the tag on the fireball I...
view the full question and answer

Short, Natural Evergreen Shrubs for Texas
March 12, 2015 - I am looking for small/dwarf evergreen shrubs that, when mature, will be no larger than three feet tall. If possible I would like shrubs that are graceful and more natural looking rather than “regimen...
view the full question and answer

Pruning Leggy Santolina
January 30, 2016 - We are members of the society and have loved your section offering advice. We have green santolina that is becoming quite leggy. I would like to prune them to get them more compact come spring and sum...
view the full question and answer

Control of Paulownia tomentosa from Westminster MD
October 28, 2011 - I have heard that there is a type of herbicide that is to be applied to slashes made in the outer layer of invasive trees such as Paulownia. This type of application is reputed to prevent the little ...
view the full question and answer

Care for non-native red orchid
January 11, 2009 - In a nutshell, I was away for about a week and before leaving I watered my red orchid (as instructions said you were only supposed to water it once a week and place in a spot with sunlight but not dir...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.