Fruit Tree
Pomegranate 'Wonderful'
Punica granatum 'Wonderful' · Lythraceae
Also called: Wonderful Pomegranate, Granada (Spanish)
Pomegranate 'Wonderful' (Punica granatum 'Wonderful') is a low-water fruit tree well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun to light shade. Expect showy orange-red blooms Large orange-red flowers late spring into summer.
Pomegranate 'Wonderful' at a glance
- Water use
- Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun to light shade; full sun gives the best flowering and fruit. Thrives in Tucson's intense heat.
- Mature size
- 12-20 ft tall and 10-15 ft wide as a large shrub/small tree; commonly kept smaller.
- Growth rate
- Moderate to fast.
- Bloom
- Showy orange-red, Large orange-red flowers late spring into summer (May-July); large purplish-red fruit ripens September into fall. Foliage turns bright yellow in late fall before dropping.
- Cold hardiness
- Very cold-hardy for a desert fruit, tolerant to roughly 10-12°F; deciduous and fully hardy in Tucson (USDA 9a-9b).
- Soil
- Very adaptable; grows well in Tucson's alkaline, even somewhat heavy or saline desert soils. Needs reasonable drainage but is among the most soil-tolerant fruit plants.
- Native range
- Native to Iran to northern India/Central Asia; ancient cultivation in the Mediterranean and brought to the Southwest by Spanish missionaries. Not native to the Sonoran Desert.
- Best used as
- Fresh fruit and juice, Ornamental flowering shrub/small tree, Informal hedge or screen, Fall color accent, Edible/xeriscape landscaping
- Wildlife
- Tubular red flowers attract hummingbirds and bees; fruit eaten by birds.
- Toxicity
- Fruit (arils) edible and non-toxic. Root, stem and peel contain alkaloids that can be toxic in quantity; bark/roots considered mildly toxic to pets if chewed. Generally a safe landscape plant around children.
How to grow Pomegranate 'Wonderful' in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Drought-tolerant once established, but deep, regular watering (similar to citrus) produces far better, larger fruit and reduces fruit splitting: roughly every 7-10 days in summer, monthly or less in winter dormancy. Inconsistent moisture during ripening causes splitting.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Light feeder. A modest application of balanced or nitrogen fertilizer in late winter/early spring; avoid excess nitrogen, which promotes leaves over fruit. Compost and mulch are usually enough in established plantings.
Pruning & care
Prune in winter while dormant to shape; can be grown as a multi-trunk shrub or trained to a small single/multi-trunk tree. Remove the abundant basal suckers regularly to maintain a tree form. Fruit forms on spurs of mature wood, so avoid heavy shearing.
Notes
'Wonderful' is the leading commercial cultivar and an excellent, reliable producer in the low desert; large tangy purplish-red fruit with relatively soft seeds. One of the best low-water edible plants for Tucson. Plant fall or early spring.
Sources: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum - Pomegranate (Punica granatum) plant care sheet; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension / Pima County Master Gardeners; AMWUA Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert