Punica granatum is a deep-rooted, slow-growing, spiny, deciduous shrub or small tree.
It reaches a height of around 5 metres with an open canopy and low-branched crown.

Known Hazards

None known

Habitat

Grows in dry limestone soils up to 2,700 metres elevation in the Himalayas.

Cultivation Status

Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Thrives in subtropics and warm temperate zones.
Best quality fruits grown in dry climates with less humidity.
Temperature tolerance: 8 - 40°C; can survive down to -10°C when dormant.
Prefers annual rainfall of 900 - 1,200mm, but tolerates 400 - 4,200mm.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw; juicy with a sub-acid flavor. Fruit pulp surrounds numerous seeds.
Fruit juice used in soups, sauces, jellies, ice cream, cakes, etc.
Seeds eaten raw or dried as seasoning in Indian cuisine.
Boiled leaves reportedly eaten.

Medicinal

Pomegranate has a history of use for over 3,000 years.
All parts contain alkaloids that paralyze tapeworms, aiding in their expulsion.
Rich in tannin, used as astringent for vaginal discharges, mouth sores, throat infections.
Flowers used for dysentery, stomach ache, cough.
Seeds demulcent and stomachic; used for syphilis treatment.
Fruit juice used for jaundice, diarrhea; combined with Cynodon dactylon for colds.

Agroforestry Uses

Deep-rooting and drought-tolerant; used for soil erosion control, riverbank stabilization.
Leaf litter decomposes slowly for mulching; used in water purification.
Grown as hedges, windbreaks, and living fences in Mediterranean climates.

Other Uses

Flowers and unripe fruit rind yield red or black dye; rind also used as ink.
Dried peel and bark rich in tannin; root bark used for ink.
Hard, durable wood used for agricultural implements, domestic wares, fuel.
Wood noted for its use as a substitute for boxwood (Buxus spp.).

Propagation

Seed - germinates best at 22°C; seedlings potted when large enough, then planted out.
Half-ripe wood cuttings, mature wood cuttings, layering, air layering, division of suckers.