Pomegranate
Punica granatum
Also called Pomegranates
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitIt is hardy enough to LIVE outdoors in Britain and almost never warm enough to RIPEN fruit — the flowers are the honest reason to grow one. In a pot it can go under glass in September, which is what makes the difference.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Hard
- Water
- Every 9 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun, against a warm wall
- Feed
- Every 30 days
- Humidity
- Low
- Hardiness
- Hardy — an average winter RHS H4, to -10°C
- Size
- 3 m tall · 2.5 m across
- Lifecycle
- Shrub
- Origin
- Iran to northern India
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
HandlingTake care handling it
The shoot tips are spiny.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-22. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- Small hard green fruits still on the bush in November, exactly as they were in September. There has not been enough summer heat — this is the normal British outcome and not a fault in the plant.Fruit that never ripens · disorder
- A fruit that swelled through a dry spell cracks open along one side within a day or two of heavy rain, and the seeds inside go mouldy.Split fruit · disorder