Do Pomegranates Grow on Trees?

Colorful pomegranate fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals.

Pomegranate is a tasty and nutritious fruit that has gained a higher profile because of aggressive marketing that touts the health benefits of pomegranate juice. Pomegranate trees are attractive and can be grown as landscaping and ornamental shrubs in subtropical climates. Equally effective as single specimen trees or in groupings, pomegranate trees can also thrive poolside or on patios in containers.

Features

The pomegranate -- botanically known as Punica granatum and also called the Chinese apple -- is a deciduous shrub native to Iran and India. Pomegranate trees are commercially grown for fruit in California and Arizona and can be grown as ornamental trees as far north as Washington, DC, although they won't bear fruit there. The pomegranate tree features glossy, narrow leaves and tubular scarlet or white blossoms in the spring. The colorful pomegranate fruits have yellow rinds flushed with crimson; the flesh is red, pink or whitish. The seeds of the fruit -- surrounded by an inedible white membrane -- have a tart but sweet flavor. Digging them out takes a little work, but the tangy, refreshing taste is worth the effort.

Requirements

Pomegranate trees require a sunny location and prefer rich, well-drained soil. They can grow in climate zones 7 through 10, meaning they can only thrive where winter temperatures don't drop below 12 degrees Fahrenheit. According to Gardening Central, using a good-quality organic mulch and fertilizing with a nitrogen fertilizer for the first two springs can help ensure a healthy tree.

Nutrients

Pomegranate fruits are extremely rich in potassium, with a pomegranate 4 inches in diameter yielding 666 mg of this essential mineral, which is vital for maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, the same pomegranate contains 102 mg of phosphorus, needed for making thyroid hormones. Pomegranates are also high in B-complex vitamins, providing .0826 mg of niacin -- needed for lowering cholesterol levels -- and 1.063 mg of pantothenic acid, essential for a healthy immune system. Pomegranates are also high in folate, with a 4-inch fruit providing an impressive 107 micrograms. This B vitamin can help prevent neural tube defects in newborns. With about 234 calories each, pomegranates are low-fat, low-salt, cholesterol-free and high in fiber.

Research

In addition to its other health benefits, pomegranate fruit has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which may help fight cancer. There is some scientific research supporting pomegranate's chemoprotective properties. In a clinical study in the February 2006 issue of "Cell Cycle," researchers found that pomegranate fruit extracts inhibited the growth of prostate cancer tumors in mice.

References

• California Rare Fruit Growers; Pomegranate; 1997
• Gardening Central: Growing Pomegranate
• USDA National Nutrient Database
• Cell Cycle; Prostate Cancer Through Pomegranate Fruit; A. Malik and H. Mukhtar; Feb, 2006