With their exotic, tropical allure and delicious ruby fruit, it’s no wonder gardeners are eager to grow pomegranate trees indoors. But are these shrubby fruit producers really suited to life as houseplants?
The short answer is yes! With the right care and conditions, pomegranates can thrive indoors and even produce fruit.
In this comprehensive guide we’ll cover everything you need to know about successfully growing pomegranate trees as indoor container plants from choosing the best varieties to providing the perfect care and getting your tree to bear fruit.
Are Pomegranates Good Houseplants?
While you might think of pomegranates as tropical oddities they are actually well adapted to life as houseplants. Here are some key reasons they make excellent indoor specimens
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They have naturally shallow root systems that suit container growing. Many other fruit trees develop extensive root systems requiring ample space.
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Pomegranates are small, staying under 5-10 feet tall. Dwarf varieties max out under 4 feet, perfect for indoor pruning.
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They adapt well to indoor environments with adequate light.
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Pomegranates are attractive plants with ornamental appeal even when not fruiting.
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Proper care can coax indoor pomegranates into producing their iconic red fruits.
So with the right variety and setup, pomegranates can be productive and handsome indoor fruit trees.
Choosing a Pomegranate Variety for Indoors
With over 100 pomegranate cultivars to choose from, selecting the best type for growing inside takes some research:
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Dwarf varieties – Best suited for indoor growing. ‘Nana’ maxes out around 3 feet tall. Others like ‘Bonita’ stay under 5 feet.
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Miniature fruits – ‘Petite Pink’ and ‘Petite Salmon’ have fruits under 2 inches wide, perfect for indoor harvests.
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Early fruiting – ‘Eversweet’ bears fruit after just one year. Helpful for impatient indoor gardeners.
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Cold hardy – Important if you want to move your tree outdoors seasonally. Opt for varieties like ‘Parfianka’ and ‘Cloud’.
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Ornamental appeal – All pomegranates are lovely, but ‘Legrelliae’ has showy double flowers.
Talk to your local nursery to find the best variety for your climate and growing conditions.
Setting Up Your Indoor Pomegranate Garden
Growing pomegranates inside takes a little planning and preparation. Follow these tips for setting up the ideal indoor growing environment:
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Sunlight – Pomegranates need full sun. Choose the brightest spot near a south-facing window. Supplement with grow lights.
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Temperature – Keep ambient temperature 65-80°F for healthy growth and fruiting.
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Container – Select a pot at least 12 inches wide and deep for dwarf varieties. Use fast-draining potting mix for citrus and fruit trees.
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Support – Add a stake or small trellis when the tree starts fruiting. The ripening fruits will be heavy.
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Pollination – For fruit, you need another pomegranate variety for pollen exchange. Or use a soft brush.
With the right foundation, your pomegranate is ready to flourish indoors!
Caring for Container Pomegranates Indoors
Pomegranates need attentive yet minimal care when grown as houseplants. Follow these tips:
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Watering – Water whenever the top inch of soil dries out. Keep soil consistently moist but not soggy.
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Light – Near a sunny window is ideal. Add supplemental lighting in winter when daylight is minimal.
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Temperature – Keep ambient temperature 65-80°F year round. Cooler in winter may delay fruiting.
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Fertilizer – Feed monthly spring through fall with balanced liquid fertilizer. Stop fertilizing in winter.
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Pollination – Hand pollinate flowers using a soft brush for fruit set. Or add a second variety for cross-pollination.
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Pruning – Prune in early spring, removing dead wood and excess growth. Pinch young shoots to encourage bushiness.
With attentive watering, ample sunlight, even temperatures, and gentle pruning your pomegranate will thrive as a houseplant!
Getting Your Indoor Pomegranate to Bear Fruit
While flowering is common, getting container pomegranates to actually produce their iconic red fruits takes some finesse:
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Maturity – Pomegranates need 2-3 years to start fruiting. Have patience with young trees.
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Pollination – Cross-pollination from another variety is required for fruit. Or hand pollinate.
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Sunlight – Fruiting demands full sun. Supplement natural light with grow bulbs.
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Support – Add stakes once fruit sets to prevent branch breakage under the weight.
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Thinning – Remove excess young fruits to focus the tree’s energy into ripening the best quality fruit.
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Overwintering – Allow container trees to go dormant in winter by withholding fertilizer and reducing water.
With optimal care and growing conditions, your pomegranate houseplant should reward your efforts with jewel-toned fruits!
Troubleshooting Common Indoor Pomegranate Problems
Growing pomegranates inside comes with some potential issues to watch for:
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Leggy growth – Insufficient sunlight causes lanky growth. Provide ample light.
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Leaf drop – Underwatering or overwatering causes leaf loss. Maintain even moisture.
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Flower drop – Lack of pollination prevents fruit set. Hand pollinate or add a second variety.
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Slow growth – Low humidity or temperatures below 65°F hinder growth. Increase humidity and maintain warm temps.
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Leaf spots – Fungal disease triggered by high humidity. Improve air circulation and prune affected foliage.
Catch problems early and adjust care accordingly if any of these issues arise.
FAQ: Growing Pomegranates Indoors
Still have some questions? Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about raising pomegranate houseplants:
How big do indoor pomegranate trees get?
Dwarf varieties reach just 2-4 feet tall and wide when grown in containers. Larger varieties may hit 5-8 feet tall indoors. Prune and train trees to control size.
How long does it take for pomegranates to fruit indoors?
Most pomegranates need 2-3 years before they mature enough to begin fruit production. Some early fruiting varieties may produce in their first year.
Do indoor pomegranates need dormancy?
Allowing indoor trees to go dormant in winter encourages heavier fruiting. Withhold fertilizer, reduce watering, and keep temps on the cooler side of their range.
What size pot is needed for indoor pomegranates?
Plant dwarf pomegranates in containers at least 12-14 inches wide and deep. Larger varieties need pots up to 18-24 inches wide.
How do I hand pollinate indoor pomegranates?
Use a small soft brush to collect pollen from male flowers and dab onto the stigmas of female flowers to pollinate them for fruiting.
The Takeaway
Who knew you could grow these exotic fruit producers indoors? With plentiful light, a large container, regular watering and feeding, ideal temperatures, and hand pollination, pomegranate trees can adapt readily to life as captivating and productive indoor plants. Just be sure to choose a dwarf or naturally small variety suited to life in a pot. In return for attentive care, you’ll be rewarded with showy blossoms and ruby-hued fruits.
Can I Plant Pomegranate Trees in Containers?
The ornamental pomegranate tree and its antioxidant-rich, jewel-like fruit will make your garden and your diet look better! Pomegranates have bright red, orange, or yellow flowers and beautiful, fine-textured leaves. They are beautiful flowering and fruiting edible landscaping trees that will make the yard look better.
There are many types of pomegranate trees available at Nature Hills. If you live in a warmer area and want a drought-resistant tree with beautiful flowers and delicious fruit, look no further. After all, these “Seeded Apples” have been grown in the Mediterranean for hundreds of years! They were first brought to the US in the 1700s and have since become a popular winter treat and warm-weather decoration.
If they get the right care, these fruit trees can live over 200 years and start fruiting early on! Nature Hills ships our Pomegranate trees with roots that are 3–4 years old, so you can start enjoying fruiting sooner!
Best of all – They grow AMAZINGLY in pots, planters, and containers!
Growing Pomegranate Trees in Containers
The pomegranate fruit comes from the Lythraceae family and has a smooth, leathery skin on the outside. The inside has pulpy arils, which are the seeds surrounded by sweet, juicy pulp. Nature Hills carries ten varieties of Pomegranates for you to enjoy and several do amazingly in containers!.
During the growing season, these trees have beautiful, glossy tropical leaves. These deciduous trees usually have some thorns and can grow into a bushy shrub or be trained into an ornamental small tree with a single trunk or many branches.
Either way, these delightful fruit trees are ideal for growing in large planters!
Pomegranates thrive in a wide range of warmer USDA growing zones between 7 through 10. But those gardeners in cooler climates need not despair! You can grow a patio Pomegranate tree
in a large planter and simply move it into a bright sunny window, sunroom or greenhouse for the winter! Simply prune them as small as you need to save space and more easily bring your tree indoors and out as needed.
Pomegranates thrive in areas of warm, arid conditions. Pomegranate fruit trees are easy to grow and don’t need much care. They need about the same care as any other fruiting tree or shrub, but they don’t get diseases and produce fruit on their own!
Use a minimum 10-gallon-sized container with excellent drainage holes and a dribble tray to catch excess moisture.
- Give them a place outside that gets full sun for at least six hours a day.
- Give it a window that gets as much full sun (but not direct) as possible inside.
- Employ grow lights if needed indoors
- Keep indoor plants away from drafts and heaters
- If temperatures are going to drop below 40°F, bring trees that are outside inside.
- Trees that are grown in pots need rich soil and good drainage.
- When plants are outside in the sun, they need to be watered often.
- Need soil that drains well—don’t let them dry out or sit in water!
- Check inside a few times a week until you know what they do.
- To find out if you need to water, use the Finger Test Method.
- Let dry out slightly between waterings
- Plant in organically enriched fertile soil
- Don’t forget to use Nature Hills Root Booster to give your plants lifelong support.
- A good organic 10-10-10 fertilizer or a slow-release fruit tree fertilizer should be used twice a year, once in early spring and again in late fall.
- A 3–4-inch layer of arborist mulch should be put on top of the soil in the pot to keep the roots cooler and protect them from evaporation.
Keep your tree stress-free to keep the fruit from dropping! Slowly bring your container pomegranate indoors after being out in the sun all summer, and slowly bring it back out into the sun after being inside all winter. Avoid letting your tree sit in water and drying out too long between waterings. Avoid placing your tree near heaters and near any drafts.
Stress can come from sudden changes, and you could lose those beautiful leaves or have all your fruit fall off before it’s time to ripen.
Remove crossing branches and suckers coming up from the bottom of pomegranate trees in late winter or early spring. Also, cleanly cut out any damaged or dead limbs. Maintain young trees so they have three to five shoots per branch. Now is also the time to shape your tree into a round, full, bushy shrub with one or more trunks.
Watch the video on How to Thin Fruit to get bigger fruits and better plants. Our Garden Blog has more Success Tips.