Hi, folks.

Gardening in San Jose, California -- USDA zone 9b, Sunset zone 16.

My wife would like to add a pomegranate tree in our front yard. There
used to be a Deodar cedar in the spot where we would plant the
pomegranate tree. Although the cedar was far, far too large, it was
evergreen and provided a year-round privacy screen between our yard and
our neighbor's yard.

I like the look of a pomegranate tree, and the fruit. But my gardening
manual (Sunset Western Garden Book) says that pomegranate trees are
deciduous. If this is true, we would not be restoring our year-round
privacy by planting a pomegranate. However, my wife says that she has
never seen any of the pomegranate trees in our neighborhood without
leaves. Thinking back over my memories of our periodic walks, she may
be right.

A Google search with the key words "pomegranate evergreen deciduous"
has led me to conclude that pomegranate trees are indeed sometimes
evergreen, and sometimes deciduous. Gosh, that was almost helpful.
What I would really like to know is WHEN a pomegranate tree will remain
evergreen. Does the variety matter? If the climate matters, what
are the conditions which influence leaf drop? Presumably, there's a
critical minimum temperature...

Thanks for your advice!


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