A.C Sweet Pomegranate
Developed by Arthur C. Combe of Beaver Dam, Arizona. Exterior color is red to bright pink, arils are pink to light red. Flavor is sweet and refreshing, seeds are soft and edible. Ripe fruit can hang for weeks without splitting. Very hardy plant will take temperatures to below zero. One of best flavored varieties. Required chill hours 100-200. Self-fruitful, best in Zones 6-10.
Essentials for Success
For flourishing plants, use potting soil for potted plants or planting mix for garden beds paired with Root Zone starter fertilizer is the perfect duo to foster robust root growth and minimize transplant shock.
Details
A.C Sweet Pomegranate is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a mounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It has no significant negative characteristics.
A.C Pomegranate is recommended for the following landscape applications:
- Accent
- Mass Planting
- General Garden Use
- Container Planting
Features
A.C Pomegranate has nodding tubular flowers at the ends of the branches from early to late summer, which are interesting on close inspection. The fruits are showy red to bright pink pomes carried in abundance in early fall. It has dark green foliage. The glossy oval leaves remain dark green throughout the winter.
This plant is primarily grown as an ornamental, but it's also valued for its edible qualities. The large oblong tangy seeds are most often used in the following ways:
- Fresh Eating
- Preserves
- Juice-Making
Care
Planting & Growing
A.C Pomegranate will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. It has a low canopy, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.
This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.
A.C Pomegranate makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
