What does a pomegranate tree look like?
The pomegranate is a deciduous tree or shrub of the genus Punica in the family Lythraceae. The history of pomegranate cultivation in China can be traced back to the Han Dynasty; according to Lu Gong's records, it was introduced from the Western Regions by Zhang Qian. The fruit is rich in nutrients, with a vitamin C content one to two times higher than that of apples and pears. I believe many friends have eaten pomegranates, but have never seen what a pomegranate tree looks like. Let us take a look below at what a pomegranate tree actually looks like!
Trunk
In the tropics, the pomegranate tree is evergreen. Its crown is bushy and naturally rounded. The roots are yellowish-brown, and it grows vigorously, readily producing root suckers at the base. The tree can reach 5-7 m in height, generally 3-4 m, but dwarf pomegranates grow only about 1 m tall or even shorter. The trunk is grayish-brown with knot-like protrusions, and the trunk often twists to the left.
Crown
The pomegranate's crown has many branches. Young twigs are angular, mostly square in cross-section, and the small branches are flexible and not easily broken. Primary branches alternate oppositely on vigorous small twigs and bear small thorns. The length of the thorns is related to the variety and growing conditions. Vigorous trees have more thorns, while old trees have fewer. The color of the buds changes with the seasons, appearing in three colors: purple, green, and orange.
Leaves
The pomegranate's leaves are opposite or clustered, long lanceolate to oblong, or elliptic-lanceolate, 2-8 cm long and 1-2 cm wide, with pointed tips, a glossy upper surface, a raised midrib on the underside, and short petioles.
Flowers
The pomegranate's flowers are bisexual. Depending on whether the ovary is well developed, there are bell-shaped flowers and tubular flowers; the former have well-developed ovaries and readily set fruit after pollination, while the latter often wither and fail to set fruit. The petals are obovate, equal in number to and alternating with the sepals, and arranged in a imbricate pattern. Flowers may be single or double. Double-flowered varieties have many petals, with stamens and pistils becoming petal-like and sterile, and the petals number up to several dozen. The flowers are mostly red, but there are also white, yellow, pink, and agate-colored forms. The stamens are numerous, and the filaments are hairless. The pistil has 1 style, longer than the stamens, with 4-8 carpels and an inferior ovary.
Fruit
When the pomegranate fruit matures, it becomes a large, many-chambered, many-seeded berry, with numerous seeds in each chamber. The outer seed coat is fleshy, bright red, pale red, or white, juicy, sweet with a tart note, and is the edible part. The inner seed coat is horny, though in some it is degraded and soft, namely the soft-seeded pomegranate. The fruiting pomegranate blooms from May to June, with pomegranate flowers like fire, and fruits from September to October.