pomegranate

Punica granatum L.

Pomegranate usually grows as a dense, deciduous shrub with slender, sometimes thorny branches, though it can be trained into a small tree. Its fruit is a leathery berry crowned by the persistent calyx. Inside, numerous seeds are enclosed in juicy, pink to purplish-red tissue that forms the familiar edible portion. UF/IFAS Extension HS44: The Pomegranate

Botanical name

Kew accepts Punica granatum L. in Lythraceae. This profile adopts that current family placement; the manifest’s Punicaceae is an older, narrower treatment of the same plant. Kew Plants of the World Online: Punica granatum

Recognizing the plant

Glossy leaves are oval to lance-shaped, with smooth edges and short stalks. They may be opposite or grouped in whorls, sometimes alternating on vigorous shoots. The flowers have conspicuously crumpled petals. Depending on the cultivated selection, they can be red, orange, pink, yellow or variegated, while the rounded fruits change colour as they mature. Oregon State University Landscape Plants: Punica granatum

Seasonal development

Florida, United States

In northern Florida, fruits mature from July through November; southern Florida plants may produce fruit throughout the year. UF/IFAS Extension HS44: The Pomegranate

Native range

Kew places the native range from northeastern Türkiye to western and northern Pakistan. Long cultivation has carried pomegranates far beyond that area, and the species is now widely grown in temperate and subtropical regions. Kew Plants of the World Online: Punica granatum

Ecological relationships

A Kathmandu Valley study identified Asian and western honey bees as pollinators. Open flowers set fruit more often than bagged flowers in that study. Adhikari and Adhikari: Floral Phenology and Pollination Ecology of Punica granatum in Kathmandu, Nepal

Botanical sources

Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.