"John Ladasky" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi, folks.

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

[...]
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!

In Phoenix AZ (USDA 9b, Sunset 13) full size pomegranates like 'Wonderful'
are deciduous and always lose all of their leaves in the winter. But the
ornamental dwarf 'Nana' (fruit not palatable) is evergreen. I would suspect
similar results in Palo Alto. We have had both varieties for over 20 years
and find that 'Wonderful' suckers easily and it is much easier to grow as a
large shrub. The shrubs are still very vigorous but it helps to thin by
pruning out some of the older shoots every 2-3 years.

Olin