Punica granatum, or known more by its common name, the pomegranate, is a tree that is grown in abundance in Spain, due to the hot, dry conditions in the Mediterranean.
The Pomegranate flower is an important flower to Spain and its history – being the country’s official flower – which can be found in various motifs for art and literature.
So important, that the city of Granada was named after the pomegranate where various images of the fruit can be found along the streets and walls of the city.
Pomegranate trees begin to flower in May and will continue right through to early autumn.
However, if your pomegranate flowers fall off in early spring, the main culprits are usually cold temperatures, lack of water or insect infestation – such as whitefly, scale or mealybugs.
Drought resistant, it will still need a good deep weekly watering – if you want it to produce the ruby red fruits of which trees need to be mature to produce any fruit, between 3-5 years and are self-fruitful, which means the flowers are both male and female.
The tree will attract pollinating insects and hummingbirds into your garden and will also assist in spreading the pollen from flower-to-flower.
The pomegranate, native to Iran and India, has many medicinal uses, with the juice of the fruit noted as being vitimin rich, anti-inflammatory.
It may also help fight prostrate and breast cancer, lower blood pressure, aid digestion and may help fight heart disease.
The flowers can be eaten in many ways, including salads, to make a smoothie, as a spinach alternative in curries, pasta sauces and soups, make a tea drink, aiding sleep, sooth eczema, by making a paste from the leaf, for cold sores and mouth ulcers, by boiling down tea liquid.
