Knowledgebase
Is is at all possible to grow a pomegranate tree in Michigan? #861149
Asked March 11, 2024, 4:10 PM EDT
My husband and I recently retired and hope to move back to Michigan this year. In retirement, I hope to garden but have no real experience. I’m sure we will learn over time but I do have one perhaps odd question now for you. Would it be at all possible to have a pomegranate tree in our yard?
I love the fruit and know that it usually is grown in more of a desert climate.
It would just give me joy if I could grow the fruit that my father and I always loved sharing together.
Thank you for any help.
Berrien County Michigan
Expert Response
I would suggest growing a dwarf variety in a container that can be placed outside in summer but overwintered in a sheltered location. You can even place the container in the ground so it appears to grow in the ground, and lift the container in the fall to over winter indoors. There are varieties that will handle the cold temperatures fine, but they are not adapted to the length of our winters. They require fewer chilling hours, meaning that they will awaken from dormancy during a warm spell in late winter. They will resume growth early, and when there is a subsequent freeze, the new growth will freeze and die.
