'Lyubimy' (Favorite™) Pomegranate

Lyubimyi pomegranate, also known as Favourite™ pomegranate, is a compact, cold-hardy pomegranate valued for its attractive red fruit and sweet, juicy arils with a pleasant sweet-tart flavour. Its smaller stature of just 5-6' tall makes it well suited to home gardens and containers, particularly in areas where plants benefit from a warm, sheltered location with good drainage.

Showy orange-red flowers appear in summer, followed by antioxidant-rich fruit that can be eaten fresh or used for juice, sauces and preserves. This variety is self-fertile, so you only need one to get fruit, though cross pollination may increase fruit set.

Lyubimy (Любимый) essentially means “beloved” or “favourite” in Russian. The spelling varies because the Russian name gets transliterated into English in several ways: Lyubimy, Lyubimyi, Lyubimy, Lubimy, etc. In English, the variety often goes by the name Favorite™.

Common names: Lyubimyi Pomegranate, Lyubimy Pomegranate, Lubimy Pomegranate, Favorite™ Pomegranate, Favourite™ Pomegranate

Edible: Fruit
Harvest timing: October-November

Scientific name: Punica granatum 'Lyubimyi' (aka Favorite™) 
Pollination: Self-fertile
Hardiness: Zone 7 (about 3ºC less cold hardy than 'Salavatski')
Light requirements: Full sun
Full-grown size: 5-6' tall (more compact than 'Salavatski')
Wildlife: Ripe fruit may attract birds, but the plants generally less attractive to deer than other plants. 
Origins: Bred in southern Russia. The cultivar was brought to North America by One Green World in 1991.
Noteworthy:  Compact shrub/small tree. One of the most cold hardy pomegranates.