Pomegranate
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Middling It gives warning, with time to act.
Also called Carthaginian apple and granada.
Toxicity is partly unassessed
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for people. RHS publishes no harm statement for this plant. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Full sunRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H3 — -5 to 1°C -5 to 1 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Chalk, Loam, Sand; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- No statement of harm to people is published for this plant; that absence is not evidence it is safe.RHS · read 13 September 2026
How it usually goes wrong
- Brown tips on the newest leaves first
A yellow halo sits just inside the brown edge on the pomegranate, and new leaves often come in already tipped with brown during the heating season.
Dry air takes water from the leaf surface continuously, and the tissue at the edge is last in the queue for what the roots send up. Penn State Extension notes there is no single humidity figure that suits every indoor plant. That applies while it is grown indoors; its RHS rating of H3 describes a plant that also grows outside, where the air is seldom that dry.
Telling it apart: Whether the soil is dry too. Crisp edges with damp soil point at the air; with dry soil, at the watering.
Penn State ExtensionPomegranate brown leaf tips and edges: causes- Faded, yellow-white areas on the sunny side of the canopy
Scorched leaves on the pomegranate turn from pale to brown and brittle, and the damage stops where the shade of another leaf fell across it.
Even a plant described as full sun can take more through glass than it would outdoors, because glass removes the breeze that carried the heat away.
Telling it apart: Which side. Damage confined to the lit side is light; damage spread evenly is not.
RHSDiagnose yellowing leaves on this Pomegranate- The canopy deflates, and lifts again within hours of a soak
The pomegranate hangs evenly all over, and the compost has gone pale and hard. Nothing is spotted or rotten; the plant is simply short of water.
Its source describes well-drained soil. Below that the cells lose pressure, and pressure is what holds a leaf out straight.
Telling it apart: Water it and look the same evening. A thirsty plant firms up fast; one that does not has a root problem instead.
RHSDiagnose drooping on this Pomegranate- Torn or browned leaves on one side after windy weather
Marks on the pomegranate are concentrated on the windward side: torn edges, dry brown patches and leaves rubbed against each other.
A plant listed for a sheltered site by its source is not built for sustained wind, which both dries its leaves and damages them physically.
Telling it apart: Which side. Wind marks the side facing it; dry soil marks the whole plant.
RHSPomegranate brown leaf tips and edges: causes
Not sure which it is? Ask the diagnosis questions for Pomegranate.
Routine care
- Watering
- While growing, water generously and feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertiliser. Give little water in winter.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- While plants are growing, water generously and give a balanced liquid feed each month.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- In spring sow seed at 13-18°C, or in summer root semi-hardwood cuttings over bottom heat.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning group 1 from spring into summer; pruning group 13 when trained on a wall.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Usually free of pests. Diseases: honey fungus can occur, though rarely.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
The pomegranate is a fruit-bearing, deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punicoideae, that grows to between 1.5–5 metres (5–16 ft) tall. Rich in symbolic and mythological associations in many cultures, it originated in the region spanning the Caucasus and the Iranian plateau — including modern-day Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pomegranate was first domesticated by ancient Iranians in the Iranian plateau and nearby regions about 5,000 years ago. It is extensively cultivated for its fruit.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- NE. Türkiye to W. & N. PakistanWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026NE. Turkey to AfghanistanNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026E Med. to HimalayaRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- temperateWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- Perennial, Shrub, Tree; habit multi-stemmed, oval, roundedNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Bushy (deciduous)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 120–144 in; width 96–120 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 1.5-2.5 metres; spread 1.5-2.5 metres after 10–20 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers gold/yellow, orange, pink, red/burgundy, white; blooms in fall, spring, summerNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers red in summerRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Uses
What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.
It was once used medicinally for circulatory disorders, and Native Americans made jewelry with the flowers. The seed juice is high in potassium, vitamin C and other antioxidants. Pick a fruit that feels heavy for its size and has no cracks or splits. Pomegranates are picked by hand when fully ripe. Keep whole fruit a few days at room temperature, or store it in plastic bags in the fridge for up to 3 months. The arils can be refrigerated, or frozen spread in one layer and then bagged in the freezer for a later snack. Grenadine, a red syrup for flavoring drinks, is made from pomegranate seeds.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Common problems with Pomegranate
More of the Lythraceae family
Plants with similar care
AvocadoDry scorched spots after a move into a sunnier spot
Chinese banyanFaded, yellow-white areas on the sunny side of the canopy
Coffee plantLeaf tips go crisp and brown
Japanese mapleDry, curled edges on leaves near a heater
Norfolk Island pineBleached patches on the side facing the glass
OliveA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.