Pomegranate Tree Friend
a) The average life of the Pomegranate tree is 20 to 30 years however in the right growing conditions they have been known to live for over 200 years.
b) Pomegranate trees can fruit within one year in some circumstances however the usual first fruiting time is within 2 to 3 years.
c) Pomegranates start to flower in Spring, the fruit is harvested 6 to 7 months later in Autumn.
d) Pomegranates main fruiting period is the first 15 years so depending on when they first fruit they will fruit for 12 to 15 years.
e) The Pomegranate is an ancient tree that originated in Persia, now Iran, and was taken to China in 100 BC and is extensively cultivated in Iran, India, Afghanistan and the Mediterranean.
f) Pomegranates are incredibly drought tolerant and survived well in their country of origin, Iran, where the average rainfall is as little as 50mm to 240 mm.
g) The Latin name for the Pomegrantate tree is punica granatum (pomum meaning ‘apple’ and granatum meaning ‘seeded’) the plant family is Punicaceae although some say it belongs to the Lythraceae family.
h) The Pomegranate tree has a strong tendency to sucker, for this reason it may be used to form a dense impenetrable, fruiting hedge. The fruit of the pomegranate has health benefits recognised as far back as the ancient Egyptian times where the root extracts were thought to get rid of tapeworms. In more modern times the fruit has been recognised for having high levels of antioxidants. The ancient Romans used the tough outer skin to make leather for sandals for their soldiers. The extract of the flower and fruit have also been used as dyes for textiles. The pomegranate tree is sometimes used purely as ornamental and dwarf varieties, that do not produce edible fruit, are available for this purpose
i) The pomegranate is a small multi-trunked tree. It has an open canopy, usually reaching a height of between 4 to 7 metres. In the wild it can reach up to 10 meters. It grows roughly 4 – 6 meters wide. As it is a multi-trunked, shrubby tree and its foliage can be quite low in some instances.
j) The pomegranate tree is a hardy, drought tolerant tree and can tolerate a period of wet feet. However, it prefers, full sun, a long hot summer and likes water. The fruit are remarkably pest tolerant and have very little disease problems.
Pomegranates are usually propagated from a hardwood cutting taken in the winter when the tree is deciduous.
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