Punica Granatum: Orange Blooms and the Fruits of Antiquity

Favorite fruit? Favorite fruiting bush or tree? Pomegranate may not come to mind. But the mini versions of this plant of antiquity can be grown beautifully inside the home or, in warmer climates, outdoors in the garden or in a patio container. While it is unlikely that you will want to use these small fruits for anything more than decorative purposes, they are decorative indeed. And the flowers that emerge before the fruits do… well, they are what will capture your attention and let you know that you have added something special to your plant collection.

Dressed in the best orange imaginable, the flowers of the pomegranate plant, Punica granatum, are large enough to be admired even from a distance. Their color matches little else in the garden. It is the bright and tropical orange of some Hibiscus flowers, in a smaller, flouncy form. The flowers look delicate but hold tight. They dangle in a manner than is unusual and eyecatching, as though Punica granatum has been decorated by the human hand using attractive ornaments on hangers.

Punica granatum is often grown in bush form by those who live in regions with Mediterranean-style daytime warmth and cooler nights. In Zones 7-10, Proven Winners® Punica granatum Peppy Le Pom™ is a compact shrub that will show off bright, true-orange flowers on new growth. Flowers can be present from the very start of summer to the beginning of fall.

The orange blooms shown off by a Punica granatum shrub give way to fruit, so it is important to leave spent blooms undisturbed so that the fruits can form. We may speculate that the pomegranate was the fruit of Eden. We may have seen it in Greek and Roman renderings of daily life for the ancients. No matter how we are familiar with the pomegranate, we know it has a long history. Growing Punica granatum seems a way to honor the ancient past while taking in all the benefits of having a stunningly different plant to admire in the present day. Deer will not take notice of the sour little pomegranate fruits that develop, but garden visitors will be charmed. And talk about greenery that looks as though it has been decorated by hand: The near-spherical pomegranates, each with a fluted “end”, are sure to put you in mind of decorative orbs on a holiday tree.

For gardeners who face cold temperatures in one or more of the four seasons, tending a tree-form bonsai version of Punica granatum is the way to go. Punica granatum nana is just such a variety, with the Latin “Nanum” indicating its dwarf stature. Naturally compact and with shallow roots, it can sit firmly in a dish and thrive in a warm and bright indoor environment. Its flowers are basically the same as those on the pomegranate shrub, albeit a little more stationary and a little less dangling.

In striking red-orange, the flowers of Punica granatum nana bloom on new stems. Because of this, those who shape Punica granatum nana into a bonsai will need to trim the tiny tree in a manner that gives it an obvious trunk and a canopy while not completely snipping off all new growth. Other bonsais may be trimmed more significantly; this one should be trimmed with extra care if flower growth is part of the plan. But with the right care, using a bonsai approach to tend this plant can result in something spectactular.

No matter which form of Punica granatum you choose, be aware of the fact that if you acquire your plants in fall or winter, you will face dropped leaves outdoors and a period of semi-dormancy indoors. When this happens, holding back on the water and any fertilizer, along with keeping the plants as cozy as possible, will be key. But because Punica granatum tends to put on a better show as time goes on, snatching up a compact pomegranate shrub or dwarf pomegranate tree at any time makes sense. There is no time like the present. Start to tend it, get to know it, and then greet summer with the fiery flowers and exotic, orb-like fruits of Punica granatum.