pomegranate Punicaceae Punica granatum L.   symbol: PUGR2
	Leaf: Opposite, simple, tardily deciduous to nearly evergreen, 1 to 3 inches long, narrowly elliptical to lanceolate, somewhat leathery, waxy-shiny and dark green above, paler and less shiny below, entire margins. Flower: Very attractive and carnation-like, ranging in color from scarlet or orange to white, variegated varieties exist, with up to 7 petals that have crinkled edges, the flowers at first encased in a persistent waxy calyx, to 2 inches long, flowering early to mid-summer. Fruit: A pomegranate (technically a berry), round, 2 to 4 inches, outer leathery rind yellow to red, enclosing compartmentalized sacks filled with reddish sweet pulp, each sack containing a single seed, maturing late summer, the calyx persisting on the fruit. Twig: Slender, stiff, gray-brown, often terminating in a thorny tip, often 4-angled, spur shoots present, consistently branching at 45 degree angles. Bark: Initially smooth and gray-brown, with interlacing lines, becoming irregularly ridged and furrowed. Form: A suckering, rounded shrub to 20 feet, weeping with age.
	USDA Plants Database Punica granatum is planted in the highlighted USDA hardiness zones to the left and may seed into the landscape. See a map of the states in which pomegranate has escaped (opens a new window).