Punica granatum

Origin: South-eastern Europe to the Himalayas.

Botanical features: It is a large bushy shrub or small tree, deciduous, erect, with rounded crown, sometimes spiny. It has a grey bark that with the passing of time peels off in lighter scales, considered decorative. Leaves are opposite, oblong, brown, bright green and shiny, with coppery veins when young ant turn beautifully yellow in autumn. It has a beautiful and showy prolonged bloom in summer with funnel-shaped flowers supplied with 5 orange-red petals, solitary or in bunches. Then, very decorative, globose, yellow-red fruits occur on the plant, which are up to 12 cm wide with edible red seeds within.

Agronomic and environmental characteristics: It has no special requirements if the soil is well-drained, but this plant needs to be placed in full sun or at least against a sunny wall.

Use: It has been cultivated in Europe for a long time for its flowering and fruits, it has found the ideal climate in the Mediterranean regions. Once it was planted in our countryside as a fruit tree in the yard leaning close to the house, facing south. It is cultivated as a fruit tree or as ornamental tree in parks and gardens or as a single plant in lawn. It is also used in flower beds with other shrubs, groundcovers or perennial and in mixed hedges.