Punica granatum

On the south side of the house where there is a lot of sun we planted some deciduous pomegranate trees. Well, first we tried one and it did such a great job there that we planted two more.

This one is now three years old. I think it's cultivar "sweet". They are yellow skinned and inside the arils are a clear non-staining pink. The most common cultivar you find in the store is "wonderful".

A giant corporation called Paramount has almost a monopoly on Pomegranate production in the USA so it's good to buy them locally or make them yourself. You really are at an advantage growing them yourself because you have many kinds to choose from instead of just "wonderful". We put one in called "Kashmir Blend" but it's not doing too hot. It could be in the wrong spot. It didn't look too healthy to begin with, so I'm having buyer's remorse.

I really am beginning to appreciate these pomegranate trees. They are very well suited for where they are planted and have the following good qualities:

The tree is deciduous, shading the house in summer and allowing the sun to warm the house in the winter. The trees aren't tall enough yet to provide much shade benefit. But in a few years they should start making a real difference.

The fruit really is delicious, it's as good as you can get in the farmer's market.

The pomegranate tree is drought tolerant. This makes me very happy. The trees happen to be in the hardest part of the yard to pull a hose, and it's nice to know they can tolerate some neglect in the three digit summer temperatures.

Fourth, the tree produces such beautiful flowers. I never thought this tree would have so many good qualities. I hope we make choices this good in the future.