Harvesting pomegranates in the fall is something to look forward to. The red, leathery fruit dangling from the trees is filled with sweet edible jewels, called arils. They can be enjoyed fresh, juiced or processed into beautiful jelly.
Pomegranate trees/shrubs (Punica granatum) can be grown in Hardiness Zones 7-10. Mature trees can range from a dwarf shrub of 3 feet to a tree of 30 feet. They like well-drained soil in full sun. The tree is somewhat drought tolerant once established but it takes between three and six years to produce a proper harvest. Be sure to harvest your pomegranates before the rain starts to avoid splitting.
In the spring, the flowers are a showy reddish orange trumpet shaped blossom and are self-pollinating. If the fruit set is heavy, thinning is advised. Pomegranates generally don’t have pest issues, but if you see an issue, UC Davis Integrated Pest Management has a great website for guidelines to pests on pomegranates. https://ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/pomegranate/
How do you get those gorgeous jewels out of the piece of fruit? One of the best ways is to cut the crown off the top, notice the sections of seeds inside, score the skin and a bit of the rind between the sections from top to bottom. Carefully spread the sections, which exposes the red, juicy arils. Remove them gently with your fingers into a bowl. It is a bit of a messy process. You can also try cutting one into sections, holding each section in a bowl of water, and tapping the leathery skin with a wooden spoon to release the seeds into the bowl. After all that hard work, grab a small spoonful and pop in your mouth and enjoy! The arils are completely edible.