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Growables
Origin
Pomegranates (Punica granatum) have been popular fruit throughout human history and are experiencing a surge in popularity at present due to the health benefits associated with their juice. Widely grown for their edible fruits, they are equally valuable as ornamental plants. While their precise origin is unknown, pomegranates are considered native from the near-Middle East to the Himalayas. The first plants were probably introduced into the southeastern United States by early Spanish settlers to their colony at St. Augustine, FL. Pomegranates have a long history of use in South Carolina. Plants are often found around old home sites and plantations, especially in the Midlands and Coastal Plain. They grow and flower well in most of SC, but tend to fruit poorly in our humid climate as compared to the warm, arid regions where they are particularly well adapted. 1
Description
The pomegranate is a naturally bushy, multi-stemmed plant that tends to maintain its bushiness because of suckers routinely arising from the base. Plants grow to heights of 10-12 feet and commercially are often trained to a single trunk or sometimes three stems . The plant is normally deciduous. New spring shoots tend to be thin and weepy with thorns. The leaves are shiny and dark green. The plant is essentially monoecious with two types of showy flowers produced on new growth each spring. Flowering may occur over several months with some flowers still being produced into late summer/early fall, but the major bloom period is the spring. 2