Fruit tree
Pomegranate
Punica granatum
A tough, deciduous shrub or small tree with bright orange-red flowers and jewel-seeded fruit in autumn. It is made for Adelaide: it loves long hot summers, handles frost, alkaline soil and dry spells, and needs little chill. Water evenly as fruit ripens to stop it splitting.
- SunFull sun
- Spacing400 cm apart
- FrostFrost hardy
- HeatHandles heat well
When to plant where you live
Checking your area…
Add pomegranate to my gardenVarieties (3)
- AzerbaijanSweet, red-skinned fruit; sold by some Australian fruit tree nurseries
- Nana (dwarf pomegranate)About 60 cm to 1 m; small fruit; mostly ornamental and good in pots
- WonderfulThe main commercial variety; large, deep red fruit
Neighbours
Grows well with
From seed to plate
Plant
400 cm apart. Full sun.
Water
Deep, even water while fruiting.
Feed
Compost and manure in spring.
Pick
Pick in autumn when skin colours.
Good to know
- Plant bare-root in winter or potted in autumn or spring
- Prune lightly in late winter to thin crowded, whippy growth
- Wear gloves; branches have sharp spines
- Pick fruit before heavy autumn rain to avoid splits
Common problems
- Fruit splittingwater deeply and evenly through late summer, not in sudden heavy bursts
- Few fruit after a hard prunefruit forms on older wood, so prune lightly each year
- Birds and fruit fly pecking ripe fruitnet or bag fruit and pick promptly
- Suckers from the baserub or cut them off to keep a tidy shape
If you use a garden chemical, follow the label exactly. Try organic options first, and ask the community or Plant Doctor if you're unsure.
Wildlife
Good for: birds, bees.
Safety: Everyday supermarket fruit. No ASPCA entry confirmed; large amounts of rind or seeds may upset a pet's stomach or block the gut.
Where this information comes from
- ABC News: Exotic fruit thrives in the isolation of SA's bushland (climate, low confidence)
- ABC Gardening Australia: Fruit Guide (pomegranate frost tolerant) (frost, medium confidence, checked 29 Oct 2026)
- ABC Gardening Australia: Pomegranate (growing, medium confidence, checked 29 Oct 2026)
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control: toxic and non-toxic plants (no pomegranate entry confirmed) (toxicity, low confidence)
Reviewed by AI cross-check (Claude), not a horticulturist on 29 Oct 2026. Version 1.