Is Pomegranate A Good Tree For Bonsai?

The pomegranate is a small deciduous fruit tree from the Mediterranean that is now grown all around the world for its fruit.

It is often used for bonsai and while most examples are quite young, you can find some incredible trees.

They are easy to grow from seed and you can usually find them in garden centres as ornamental trees. Personally they are one my favourite species to grow, they just tick a lot of boxes when it comes to using them for bonsai.

Is Pomegranate A Good Species for Bonsai?

There are over 500 varieties of pomegranate and some of them are better than others for bonsai. There are a number of dwarf varieties that are particularly good for bonsai, but you can do a lot of work with most varieties and they can work in a number of styles and sizes.

In general, the pomegranate has a lot of great qualities that allow it to work very well as a bonsai. It is a fast, aggressive grower, has small leaves and can get incredible bark. It also responds really well to bonsai techniques and they are easy to care for, they can also flower which looks very cool.

I feel that pomegranate gets over looked by a lot of people. However, when they actually interact with one it will quickly become one of their favourite trees. It’s like a little secret that once you discover how amazing they can be, you will be very confused why you didn’t start growing them sooner!

I would actually say this is one of the best trees you can use. You can read more about what other trees I picked in – What Are The Best Species For Beginners To Use For Bonsai?

Is Pomegranate Foliage Good For Bonsai?

The pomegranate leaves are fairly simple in shape, yet they are still quite elegant. There new buds start out a wonder red colour and slowly open to reveal the fresh green leaves.

They can also flower, which looks amazing. The flowers can often be a little large looking, but they are still cool. One problem is that they usually grow at the end of the branch tips, which most times you will have removed, so if you are pruning them often (which you probably will be) you don’t get to see the flowers.

Leaf Size Good For Bonsai?

The leaves are naturally small and with pruning you can get them to reduce quite a lot. The foliage is great for bonsai. You can really use the small leaves to make a small tree look in scale.

Internode Length

The internode length is also great for bonsai. Some shoots can be long and leggy, but if you have good lighting and are pruning often you will start to see very short internode length which is exactly what you want for bonsai and is going to allow you to build some great fine branching.

Is A Pomegranates Growth Rate Good For Bonsai?

Pomegranate can be a fast grower. I have a tree that I keep outside and it just trundles along. It is one of the last trees to wake up in spring, but it can still get a decent amount of growth over the season.

I also keep a tree inside under grow lights and well, the difference is day and night. The one with the extra light grows like a rocket. It’s in a small pot, but still manages to be one of my most aggressive growers. There is times when I am pruning it monthly, it’s just that vigorous. It is a Mediterranean species, so it of courses enjoys the conditions that are more similar to this reign compared to the grey Irish skies. 

Response To Pruning

Pomegranate will respond very well to pruning. You will always get new shoots where you pruned. Often two, but usually more, which means you need to check the new growth and remove anything that you do not need.

Back Budding

Pomegranates are also very good at back budding. You will find advantageous buds popping up everywhere. They will grow along the branches and on the trunk, especially at the collar of branches.

You will need to stay on top of these and remove them otherwise you can very quickly end up with an over grown mess with shoots just coming from everywhere.

Ramification

It is very easy to ramify a pomegranate. The small leaves, tight internodes and back budding make it all very easy. The new growth will get progressively finer as you prune. This means you can really easily end up with a very dense and ramified branch structure on a pomegranate which is perfect for bonsai.

Is Pomegranates Styling Ability Good For Bonsai?

Pomegranates are small deciduous trees, so they are going to suit a lot of bonsai styles that highlight this, although really you can do a lot with them they are very versatile. They work very well in clumps and as informal uprights.

Wiring

Pomegranates can be wired very easily and this will certainly help you get the style you are aiming for. As they are fast growers you need to be careful about the wire cutting in. This can happen very quickly so you will have to check the wire regularly.

You can also do a lot of work with clip and grow techniques and you could easily only wire the main structure and then develop the rest of the tree through pruning.

Is Pomegranates Fall Colours Good For Bonsai?

Pomegranate is deciduous, so it will lose its leaves; however, the colour is not fantastic. The leaves just sort of go yellow and drop off, but not really all at once. You will get a few hanging on to their green while others have dropped off.

They still look good, they just do not give you the intense displays that some other species that are used for bonsai can give.

Is Pomegranates Winter Silhouette Good For Bonsai?

When the leaves do drop you are left with the winter silhouette which can be very enjoyable. You can really see the development of the ramification and study the bark.

However, you are probably going to notice all the back buds that have appeared in random places that you will need to remove. Personally I like when a bonsai shows me this and I like to correct everything just before spring starts.

Is Pomegranates Bark Good For Bonsai?

The bark on pomegranate is awesome. Some varieties the bark actually starts to twist around the tree. It’s very strange looking, but also incredible.

The bark is thick and textured and is really a great aspect of the tree. It can add a lot of character to a tree when it is used as bonsai. 

As it is thick it is good at concealing wounds and scars will eventually heal over and vanish into the tree, which is also very beneficial for the look for the tree.

Deadwood Opportunities

As a deciduous tree, you should not really have dead branches on the tree. However, due to the thick textured bark, some carving on a trunk could work really well. If you have a fat, squat tree a carved hollow could look amazing.

Is Pomegranates Roots Good For Bonsai?

The roots of a pomegranate are also excellent for bonsai. They are equally as aggressive as the top of the tree and also respond well to bonsai work.

I have given my pomegranates some pretty intense root prunings and they just bounce right back. They also managed to completely fill my pots in a very short amount of time.  

The good thing is that this root growth is fine and building a great root spread is actually very easy. I have been able to get some great root balls and some fantastic trunk flare by just working on the roots regularly. Their root systems work very well as bonsai.

Is Pomegranate Easy To Care For As Bonsai?

Caring for a pomegranate is also very simple. They just want light and water and they will grow like crazy.

There is some debate about their hardiness, but I guess that will be dependent on their variety. I have found that they are hardy in the UK and I’ve never had any problems with them.

If you want more information you can read my Pomegranate Bonsai Care Guide. 

Conclusion

Pomegranate is an excellent species for bosnai. They have all the right characterises and they look cool. If you are not aware of how good they are, you need to get one and see for yourself, you will not be disappointed.

They are easily one of the best species for bonsai, as a beginner or an advanced user.

I have a few Pomegranates and you can follow their progression:

Pomegranate Bonsai Progression

Pomegranate Clump Bonsai Progression