Native Plants

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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.

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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.