Punica granatum

Pomegranate

Family: Lythraceae · Type: shrub · Not Native

Pomegranate is a naturalized shrub found in southern San Joaquin Valley, southern Coast Ranges, San Gabriel Mountains, and northern Southern California in disturbed ground at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces bright orange-red to pale yellow flowers 2 to 3 centimeters long with showy petals. Growing up to 5 meters tall with multiple stems, it features glossy, oblong to lance-ovate leaves that are significantly longer than their petioles. Its leaves are shiny on the upper surface and range from 1 to 9 centimeters in length. The fruit is a distinctive red-brown globe 5 to 12 centimeters in diameter, containing red and white seeds.

Habitat: Uncommon. Disturbed ground

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: < 500 m

Bioregions: s SnJV, s CCo, SnGb, n SCo

California counties: Riverside, Los Angeles, Ventura, San Diego, Orange, Marin, Butte, San Mateo, San Luis Obispo, San Bernardino, Alameda, Yolo, Fresno, Santa Clara

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.