Pomegranate (Punica granatum) growing

Hi,

I was wondering if I can grow these in Louisiana or is it too humid? Can they be grown inside and still get fruit? Also, anyone know if I can use seeds from a store bought fruit for planting or if I should order one.

Thanks, Pam

Pam,
I would expect pomegranate to do just fine in Louisiana. They do fine in south AL & GA, and it's pretty doggone muggy there in the summer. I've got one in a pot, in my office, which is currently blooming - I hand-pollenated some of the flowers earlier this week, in hopes of getting some fruit to set; but in-ground plants are easier to manage, and, I suspect more productive. I'm keeping this one for 'sentimental' reasons - it's a seedling of the two(probably 'Wonderful') I rooted for my dad 40 years ago.

While they're easy to grow from seed, I'd recommend either purchasing one(or more!) good named varieties, or growing your own from cuttings - fruit characteristics will be a known entity. They're very easy to grow from dormant or midsummer cuttings - I've done both.
"Wonderful" is probably the most widely-available named variety, but there are others that are better.
The NCGR at UC-Davis offers cuttings from their Punica collection, but the deadline to order is Dec 1, so you'd have to wait 'til next year to get 'em from them.
http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=12170

Check out my friend Richard Ashton's Oak Creek Orchard website - he's got lots of info on pomegranates, including some of the Russian selections I'm hoping will work for me up here in KY.
http://www.oakcreekorchard.com

I would second the recommendation to get a plant or cutting of a named variety rather than growing from seed--store bought pomegranates are most likely a hybrid variety developed to deliver great taste ('Wonderful' is a common one), and they won't come true from seed, so you could end up with a variety that doesn't taste good at all. Unless you're just doing it for the fun of trying to grow something from seed and don't care about eating the fruits eventually.

I definitely want to eat them! I'll check out the sites you guys gave me and hopefully get one in the ground this coming year.

Also - since I don't know - what variety has the best tasting fruit? I've only had "wonderful" and it seems a bit tart.

Be sure to check this place out too, they are on the gulf coast. http://www.justfruitsandexotics.com/Pomegranate.htm

I think they're all a bit tart--'Wonderful' is supposed to be one of the better ones, although I've never tasted anything else. You might contact one of the places that sells several varieties and ask them if any of the other types are sweeter, they would probably be in the best position to know what they all taste like.

Edible Landscaping offers one variety that they call 'Sweet'.
http://www.eat-it.com/Plants/Pomegranate.htm

For any who may be interested, there are a couple of new books out on the pomegranate:
The Incredible Pomegranate, by Richard Ashton, and
Pomegranate, by Dr. G.M. Levin
http://www.3mpub.com/ashton/