Native Plants
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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.
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Saturday - October 20, 2012
From: Highland Village, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives, Pruning, Edible Plants, Trees
Title: Non-native pomegranate failing to fruit from Highland Village TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Last spring I planted a pomegranate tree (type: Wonderful) which is supposed to produce edible fruit. It had 5 or 6 absolutely beautiful blooms, but each of them dropped off and no sign of fruit. Is there a period of years before I can expect any fruit? At this point it is about 40" tall and very thin branches. I will prune it this fall. Can you advise me on how much I can/should prune it?ANSWER:
Punica granatum (pomegranate) 'Wonderful' is a trade name for the pomegranate, which is native to the area of modern-day Iran, and therefore out of our range of expertise. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, home of Mr. Smarty Plants, is dedicated to the growth, propagation and protection of plants native not just to North America but to the area in which those plants grow natively. We cannot find it recorded as growing in Texas at all. That doesn't mean it isn't being sold there, it just means it probably doesn't do well there.
Here is an article on this plant from Dave's Garden forum with information from those who are growing it, or trying to, on their luck with the plant. Another article, from Floridata, seems to have some culture and pruning information.
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