Pomegranates are good choices for drought tolerant gardens. They can take regular garden watering, but will grow in drought conditions once established.
These deciduous trees can grow up to 20 feet tall and across, forming a large round shrub. They can also be trimmed and formed into multi-trunk trees.
But sometimes there can be trouble in paradise…….
The Pomegranate Mystery Pest
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YUCK!
What is this bug?
How can I get rid of it?
I believe this is called the leaf-footed plant bug. I am told it is rare in California, but you wouldn’t know that by looking at my tree! This pest bores holes into the ripening pomegranate fruits. The fruits get brown spoiled spots on them and eventually fall to the ground in a pile of rotting fruit.
Last year when the pomegranates were all gone, they moved to my Navel Orange tree. The oranges seemed to develop thicker skins where the bugs tried to drill into them. I have not seen damage on the oranges – yet.