The Russian 26 Pomegranate is one of the most cold-hardy pomegranate varieties available, making it a favorite for Southern gardeners who occasionally face freezing temperatures. This deciduous shrub produces attractive, trumpet-shaped orange-red flowers in the spring, followed by large, bright red fruit with sweet-tart arils in early fall. It is exceptionally resilient, standing up to both heat and humidity better than many other Mediterranean varieties, and can be grown as a multi-stemmed large shrub or pruned into a small, structural tree.