My friend gave me a dwarf pomegranate plant and it was in rough shape. I looked up pomegranate and they have a dormancy period. The leaves are all dry and falling off, but most of the stalks are flexible and don't break when I bend them, so I'm thinking it's dormant for winter. Standard pomegranates are spring fruits. Are the dwarf versions the same? Also, if it does bloom again in spring how much do I need ro prune for maximum flowering? This is a mature plant that has fruited and was frowing outside in direct sunlight prior to my aquiring it, so I really doubt the leaves are drying from sun scorch.

Pomegranates do go into dormancy in cooler climates, losing leaves and all that stuff. Or at least that's what they do around here: they were popular garden plants in the early 90's and most are not merely still surviving but doing well despite the weather. I can post a picture of dormant pomegranate if interested.

The nana or pumila pomegranate (dwarf) will bear fruit in the late Summer. Note that differently from standard pomegranates the fruit (technically a balausta) has an extremely astringent taste and while it has no commercial value it's excellent winter bird food.

Pomegranates always bloom towards the tip of the stalk, so pruning means those stalks won't bloom and hence will not bear fruit for 2/3 years. If a pomegranate needs pruning it's hence recommended to either be prepared do go without fruit for a few years or to prune it a little every year so as to lose as little production as possible: commercial standard-size cultivars are rarely, if ever, pruned.

Very good to know. Thank you. I used to have a standard pomegranate tree when I was a kid and it was amazing. We never cut it and just pulled the fruit off. I was wondering if this was an ornamental plant was the last fruit cycle produced mostly clear seeds. That explains a while lot. Thank you very much.