Punica granatum Malisi - Pomegranate

Punica granatum 'Malisi' (synonym Malissi) is a rare Israeli variety of pomegranate, worth discovering for its large fruits with very tender seeds, described as seedless and very pleasant to eat. These are beautiful pomegranates, red when ripe, containing sweet and juicy seeds. The crumpled, orange flowers of this small tree are also very decorative in summer, as well as its golden foliage in autumn. It is sensitive to cold (-10/-12°C), and requires a long and hot summer to ripen its fruits, at the end of October or beginning of November. This fruit tree can be planted all year round (except during frost), but preferably in autumn, in any deep and well-drained soil, even relatively dry.

The Malisi pomegranate is a self-fertile cultivar grown in Israel. Its ancestor, the Punica granatum is a small tree or large bush belonging to the Lythraceae family, related to the purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) commonly found near our waterways. It is native to a vast region that covers southeastern Europe and extends eastwards to the Himalayas. It is a species with a long lifespan, capable of living up to 200 years.

'Malisi' initially forms a clump of prickly and tangled branches in its youth, showing fairly rapid growth until maturity, which does not occur before the age of 5-6 years. The adult plant develops at a much slower pace, forming a small tree with a minimum height of 3m (9 ft 10 in) and a spread of 2.50m, with a spreading and rounded habit, after a few years. From a clump, it becomes a tree with a trunk that has a twisted appearance, reminiscent of olive trees, if pruned.

Flowering is abundant in June-July, and then more sporadic throughout the summer. The flowers are approximately 4 cm (1.6 in) in diameter. They consist of crumpled petals in a beautiful orange colour with hints of red, emerging from a thick, waxy-textured calyx that already resembles the future pomegranate. The pomegranates produced by this variety are tinged with salmon-pink when ripe. These are round fruits, about the size of an apple. The interior is made up of thick white membranes, containing multiple, very tender, small seeds surrounded by a very juicy red pulp. It is these fleshy seeds, called arils, that are consumed. Pomegranate is of course used to make the famous grenadine syrup, but it can also be consumed as juice, sorbet, in pastries, fruit salads, mixed salads, or as an accompaniment to poultry. Rich in antioxidants and vitamins, pomegranate is a refreshing fruit with a tangy and sweet flavour. It is harvested in autumn, about 4 to 5 months after flowering. Pick the fruits when the skin becomes well-colored and just begins to split. Pomegranates do not ripen further after harvest but can be stored for several months in a cool and dry place. The first fruits appear on the pomegranate from the fourth or fifth year of cultivation.

The deciduous foliage consists of small, thick, shiny, and very vibrant green oval leaves. They emerge bronze to purple in spring and turn golden yellow before falling in autumn. 

A symbol of abundance, like its emblematic ancestor of ancient civilizations, the pomegranate is a magnificent subject to plant in a warm, isolated position. Hardy down to -13 /-15°C, it will grow without any problems wherever olive trees and fig trees can survive. However, its beautiful fruits generally only ripen in the southernmost regions. It can also be used in a large Mediterranean fruit hedge, associated with Osage orange, bitter orange, a small fig tree (Dalmatian, Golden), a Japanese medlar, etc. 

The city of Granada, a crossroads of Arab and Andalusian civilizations, located in southern Spain, owes its name to the presence of the pomegranate, brought by the Moors and widely planted in the mythical gardens of the Alhambra palace. This tree also adorned the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the Romans discovered it in Carthage, naming it the Apple of Carthage.