Accession Count: 44
Common Name:
pomegranate
Family Name:
Lythraceae
Botanical Name:
Punica granatum
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
P. granatum is a shrub or small tree that grows to 12 to 20 feet. It is branched and has spines. The flowers are located on the branch tips. They are usually one and a quarter in width and are characterized by the thick, tube-shaped, red calyx. It has five to eight fleshy, pointed sepals forming a vase from which develop the three to seven crinkled, red, white or variegated petals enclosing the numerous stamens. The fruit has a rough rubbery skin/rind and a rich red color on the exterior. The inside is divided by membranous walls and white spongy tissue into compartments packed with transparent sacs filled with tart pink, red, or white pulp. In each sac, there is one angular-seed. The seeds embody 52% of the weight of the total fruit.
Compound:
Pun gra
Geographic Origin:
Mediterranean
Ecozone Origin:
Palearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
The fruit was featured in Egyptian mythology and art, as well as the Old Testament of the Bible and in the Babylonian Talmud. It has been widely cultivated throughout India and drier parts of Southeast Asia.
Cultivation Notes:
The plant grows best in a semi-arid climate and is extremely drought-tolerant. The pomegranate thrives on calcareous, alkaline soil and on deep, acidic loam. Pomegranate seeds germinate readily, even on the surface of loose soil. However, to avoid seedling variation, selected cultivars are usually reproduced by means of hardwood cuttings ten to twenty inches long (10 -20 in).
Ethnobotany:
The seeds of the pomegranate are eaten plain or added to salads, juiced, or fermented. The juice can also be used to cure diarrhea, hemorrhages, bronchitis, high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, high cholesterol, and jaundice.
Height:
16 - 20 feet
Width:
6 - 10 feet
Growth Rate:
Grow Season:
Summer
Flower Season:
Summer
Color:
Red
Function:
Screen
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
Citations:
1.
motherherbs.com2. [http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PUGR2]
3. [http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-392-POMEGRANATE.aspx?activeIngredientId=392&activeIngredientName=POMEGRANATE]
4. [http://www.pomegranatefacts.net/pomegranate-uses.html]
5. [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/pomegranate.html]
6. Duffield, Mary Rose., and Warren D. Jones. Plants For Dry Climates - How To Select, Grow And Enjoy. Lane Publishing Company, 1992.
