Punica granatum
Family: Punicaceae

Punica granatum is a small, attractive, deciduous tree or shrub originally from south-eastern Europe, northern Africa and Asia. It is grown as much for its bright green, glossy foliage, which turns gold in autumn and its dazzling red flowers, as for its edible fruit. There is also a dwarf pomegranate which grows to about 2 m (6 ft). It is frequently grown as a low hedge or as a specimen. There are a number of very attractive forms with double flowers, grown purely for the beauty of the flowers, as most are sterile and produce no fruit. The pomegranate is about the size of an apple. The crimson-coloured, juicy pulp has a bittersweet flavor and contains large numbers of seeds, relative to the amount of flesh. Grenadine, a syrup fermented from the juice, is used to make cordials, confectionery and preserves. The rind and flowers are used in medicine for their astringent properties, and the tannin is used for staining leather. The pomegranate was a symbol of hope, fertility and eternity in Jewish and Christian tradition, and figures in the Song of Solomon. Mythology suggests that it was the fruit given to Venus by Paris.

Cultivation

Although pomegranates can tolerate a wide climatic range, they need dry summer heat to set fruit and deep regular watering. In frost-prone climates, grow in a cool greenhouse in a tub of soil-based potting compost. Outdoors, plant in deep, loamy slightly alkaline soil, spacing trees 4-5 m (13-16 ft) apart, and hedges 2-2.5 m (6-8 ft) apart. Prune lightly in winter. Old neglected trees can be heavily pruned if they need rejuvenating. Propagate from seed or hardwood cuttings, or by layering. Double-flowered forms must be grown from cuttings.

Climate

Zone 9.