Family: Lythraceae

Pomegranate is a small tree with attractive flowers that produce tasty fruit. It is suitable for dry areas or large containers with good drainage. There are many cultivars and varieties, including dwarf and sterile varieties. It is native to Iran and Turkey and is widely cultivated in the Mid-East, Mediterranean, South-East Asia, and the Western US. Fruit may be eaten raw, juiced, used as a spice, or made into grenadine. There are also medicinal uses and potential health benefits associated with the plant.

Plant Uses:

• Bonsai
• Container plant
• Edible
• Medicinal
• Ornamental
• Shade
• Specimen
• Bonzai

Plant Dangers:

• Thorns or spines

High Risk Traits:

• Produces spines or thorny stems
  
• Unpalatable to grazing animals (low palatability)
  
• Host for recognized pests and pathogens (e.g., whiteflies)
  
• Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions (including shallow, infertile, alkaline)
  
• Self-compatible (capable of self-pollination)
  
• Prolific seed production (up to ~1,600 seeds per fruit)
  
• Regrows from base (suckering), tolerates mutilation
  
• Intentionally dispersed by people (widely cultivated)
  
• Bird-dispersed seeds, survive gut passage
  
• Naturalized beyond native range (Mediterranean region)

Low Risk Traits:

• No evidence of allelopathic, parasitic, or toxic properties
  
• No vegetative spread