Did you know Pomegranates can Grow in Virginia?

By Caitlin Puffenberger, PR & Marketing Intern, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Recognize this fruit? It’s a pomegranate from a tree that’s been with the Garden for more than a decade! Horticulturalist Shannon Smith says, it was originally bought as a bonsai for a beverage-themed container garden, but has since been moved to its current location in the Healing Garden.

‘Judai Zakuro,’ Punica granatum, bearing fruit in the Healing Garden.

Typical pomegranate trees won’t grow in Virginia’s climate. That’s why this cultivar, ‘Judai Zakuro,’ looks a little different than the pomegranates in your fruit bowl. It’s more hardy and is able to withstand cooler temperatures and greater humidity than other kinds of pomegranate trees. Its coloring is also different — more pink than red — and its fruit is less sweet. But it can still make a lovely edition to your garden, especially is you’re looking for some edible landscaping solutions.