I know this will be a strange question, but please keep in mind that I am a complete newbie when it comes to bonsai trees. How do I tell if my pomegranate bonsai tree is dead? I've been thinning my houseplants recently and noticed that when I pull what I think is a dead plant out of a pot, there seem to be healthy roots attached. My pomegranate, once covered with leaves and even one small pomegranate, has no leaves or buds now (it's been a month or two since it's had leaves). I live in southern California in the high desert and our weather has been strange. Eighty degrees one day, 37 degrees a night or two later. I've been bringing it in when the weather man says it will be close to freezing, but when the weather is nice, I leave it outside. I water it daily when outside, every two or three days when inside.

Does the tree normally lose leaves or is it evergreen? Watering a plant without leaves is not a good idea. and watering should be done as needed, not to a schedule. My pomegramate is outside and in the winter loses leaves but they but up again in spring. Sometimes late, but withstands frost. Can you bend the branches? Or do they break. try scraping the trunk and if it still green then it may well be ok. Other than that maybe someone who knows the species better will comment

Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it. My pomeganate is fairly new - I've had it about a year and up until now it's always had leaves. I'll scrape a branch and see what I find.

I just scraped a branch and there is green underneath. I'm so releaved.