[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the reason for the different leaf colors of pomegranate hybrid progeny. [Method] Spectrophotometry was used to determine the contents of three pigments, including chlorophyll, carotenoid and anthocyanin, in the leaves of eight pomegranate individuals and their parents at growth stage. [Result] The results showed that during the early growth stage, the anthocyanin contents of four pomegranate individuals with red leaves were higher than the control, to be specific, the anthocyanin content of No.5 pomegranate individual reached the highest of 4.12 mg/g; the chlorophyll and carotenoid contents of four pomegranate individuals with yellow-green leaves showed consistent dynamic trends with the control, to be specific, the chlorophyll content and chlorophyll/carotenoid ratio of No.4 pomegranate individual reached the highest, while the chlorophyll a/carotenoid b ratio of No.3 pomegranate individual was the lowest. During vigorous growth stage, the contents of chlorophyll, carotenoid and anthocyanin of eight pomegranate individuals showed consistent dynamic trends, with no significant difference with the control. Analysis of variance indicated that there were significant differences in the contents of chlorophyll and carotenoid among different pomegranate individuals at different growth stages and in the content of anthocyanin among different pomegranate individuals, while no significant difference was observed in the chlorophyll/carotenoid ratio among different pomegranate individuals at different growth stages. [Conclusion] The differences in leaf colors among pomegranate hybrid progeny are caused by different contents and ratios of anthocyanin and chlorophyll at growth stage.
