Pomegranate

A small tree suitable for the semi-arid climate of Southern California is the Pomegranate. It is not only grown for its nutritious fruit but the tree itself is a very good addition to any garden as it is relatively small when full grown.

I have planted one almost 2 years ago and am now bearing fruit but not as many as a full grown tree. It is about 5 feet tall after 2 years and has a few fruit this year. It started with flowers in the spring and a few of these flowers developed into fruits.

Pomegranates are drought tolerant which makes it suitable for the Southern California garden specially these past few years with only a few inches of rain annually. I deep water the small tree once a month and it is very healthy. Pomegranates do not thrive very well in wet soil as it develops root decay.

The edible part of the fruit is the deep red seeds which can be eaten raw or pressed into juice. The fruits are not as big as I expected but with enough water and fertilizer perhaps the fruits next year will be bigger.