Grafting Made Simple : 6 Steps

Hello Billy,

I very much doubt the compatibility of avocadoes and pomegranate, as unlike the sassafras, which is in the same plant family as the avocado, the pomegranate (Punica granatum) belongs to the Punicaceae family, which is quite different from family Lauraceae. The Punicaceae family consists of just one genus, and this contains only two species, the pomegranate (which came originally from Iran), and a very rare species found only on the small island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean. The families Lauraceae and Punicaceae are not even in the same Order. Therefore, I am of the opinion that it is highly unlikely that an avocado and a pomegranate will make a successful union. However, as I said in my last post, you can always try it out, you'll never know for sure unless you try. On the other hand, perhaps you could try and find some more cold-hardy relatives of the avocado, as they will be more likely to make a successful union and help your tree become more resistant to cold. A more cold-resistant rootstock can help to make the corresponding, less cold-resistant scion more cold-resistant. An example of this phenomenon is the Siberian crab-apple, used to impart vigour and cold-hardiness to apple trees in the colder states of the US and Canada. In Northland (the northernmost region of New Zealand), the climate is classified as sub-tropical, and avocadoes are grown there commercially. The temperature there in winter rarely, if ever, gets below -4 degrees centigrade (24.8 degrees Fahrenheit). How cold does it get in your 'neck of the woods' in Alabama, could avocadoes be grown on a small scale without any cross-variety grafting, maybe? Avocado trees of the Mexican race (Persea drymifolia, or Persea Americana var. drymifolia) are more cold-resistant than other species, so you could try them. Otherwise, try to make a successful graft - avocado on sassafras, it may just work.

George.