Desertnyi Pomegranate

With a storied history, Pomegranates represent the best of humanity! Carefully cultivated for many millennia, these superfruits are an excellent way to enjoy more antioxidants in your diet!

These days, more people are building out Edible Landscapes. There is a huge resurgence of interest in growing fruiting plants to augment your supply of extremely fresh fruits and vegetables. Frankly, Desertnyi Pomegranate tree (Punica granatum 'Desertnyi') makes it easy!

Big, bold blooms of scarlet red cover the plants in summertime! These trumpet-shaped flowers act as a clarion call for jewel-toned Hummingbirds and butterflies in your neighborhood. Self-fertile, you'll soon have your first harvest of orange-skinned superfruits in late fall. Cut and quarter them for easy access to the deep red arils.

Grow your own beautiful Pomegranate tree and enjoy a bumper crop of organic superfruit...without the grocery-store prices. Desertnyi has a well-balanced flavor with a delectable hint of orange. Like a Blood Orange, Desertnyi looks incredible on a plate. Gift yourself and your loved ones this incredible epicurean experience.

These thin-skinned fruits make it easy to access the edible arils inside. Very soft and sweet with just the right zip of citrus, press the Desertnyi seeds for juice. Reduce the juice into a syrupy "molasses" for a signature cocktail. Sprinkle the showy seeds over salads. Or spend some time delving into the intricate fruit for an incredibly healthy fresh snack. (Call it an exercise in mindfulness!)

This special variety also has a poignant story of survival! Desertnyi is a selection from the Turkmenistan collection of world-famous wild Pomegranates. It was thankfully rescued during the fall of the Soviet Union by the persistence of hybridist Dr. Gregory Levin.

From over 1700 painstakingly collected varieties, only 90 remain in the hands of Universities in Israel and the United States. This treasure is an incredibly worthy variety to include in your backyard orchards! One bite of the fruit with its excellent sweet-tart balance with citrus overtones; and you'll bless the courage of the hybridist, Gregory Levin. This exceptional fruit truly is a real dessert treat!

These compact, space-saving shrubby plants can be grown in the ground in USDA Growing Zones 7 - 10. Everywhere else? Grow them in containers or grow bags.

Planting and Application:

The ornamental aspects of Pomegranates are a beautiful bonus! In the landscape, grow them as a bush with the lower limbs kept on. You will enjoy fruit, flowers, and a fabulous sense of seclusion with the lush foliage.

Trim the lower branches back to the main branch for a sturdy little tree-form. They'll become a delightful focal point. Or keep them pruned smaller to plant in a large planter around the pool. Of course, a potted Pomegranate also makes your patio look like a million bucks! Why not add a few to an outdoor Meditation Garden or Children's Garden? They will look so sweet in a little row, or as part of an informal grouping.

Kept in its natural, bushy shrub form, the Pomegranate becomes a gorgeous hedge for privacy, screening, property division, and of course - double-duty fruiting accents among a mixed-shrub border! While self-fertile, all fruiting shrubs and trees do better with a pollinator buddy! Mix up your linear orchards or hedgerows with any other Pomegranate nearby to boost pollination chances and yield. Then kick back and watch those superfruits develop by the armload!

• Long, Lush Leaves are Densely Held
• Gorgeous, Large Red Trumpet-Shaped Blooms in Summer
• Nectar Source for Butterflies & Hummingbirds Galore
• Light Orange Rind, Dark Red Arils - Bright Citrusy Flavor
• Juice the Very Soft Seeds, or Enjoy Freshly Eaten
• Late Season Harvest
• Plant Stays Compact for Small Space Gardens
• Does Well in Container Culture & Very Effective Privacy Screen
• From the Famed Turkmenistan Collection of Gregory Levin

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Desertnyi Pomegranate plants are easy-to-grow and need full sunlight to partial shade, but you will have the best harvest in full sun. Ensure they receive at least four hours of direct sunlight a day. Plant in well-drained soils that dry out rapidly after rainfall. Elevate your plant in a raised bed or container if you have poorly drained soils. Plant with Nature Hills Root Booster for a life-long boost that works symbiotically with plants' root systems!

Apply a three-inch layer of mulch over the root system. Pull it back away from the trunk by several inches. Apply organic fertilizer for fruiting plants, and follow the directions on the package for both timing and application rates.

Apply water on an even, regular schedule until the roots are well established. An uneven application of water can result in split fruit. Keep the soil evenly moist, never wet. Once the plant is established, it can survive periodic drought. However, container plants need careful water their whole life. During dormancy, water once a month at most, and ensure the excess water drains quickly.

Prune in late winter to eliminate crossing branches. At that time, open the canopy up to sunlight and good air circulation.

A single Desertnyi Pomegranate will produce fruit. However, as with most self-pollinating plants, you'll get a much larger fruit set with more than one Pomegranate variety nearby. Add the early harvest of Tom's Red Pomegranate for fresh fruit over a longer season!

If your winters are warm enough, the beautiful foliage may remain evergreen. Expect to see leaves drop and cycle periodically in a two-year cycle. If your winters are cold, grow them in large pots or grow bags. Use a wheeled plant caddy underneath to make it a breeze to move it to a sheltered spot in wintertime. They will go dormant over the winter and need to be kept in a cool, bright place like a sunroom or greenhouse. Keep them on the dry side, don't let them freeze, and allow them to lose their leaves.

• Easy Care & Long-Lived In Full Sun
• Adaptable to Most Well-Drained Soil & Moderate to Low Moisture
• Drought Tolerant Once Established
• Deer Tend to Leave it Alone
• 200 Chill Hours

Our expert fruit growers take great pride in delivering commercial orchard-grade plant material to home gardens across the United States!

Join the many millions of people who have enjoyed homegrown Pomegranates before you! Take your part in history by growing this historical variety. We only have a limited inventory. Please place your order for Desertnyi Pomegranate from Nature Hills right away.