Punica granatum Maxima Rubra - Pomegranate

Punica granatum Maxima Rubra is a stunning pomegranate tree with a long summer flowering period of bright orange-red flowers, wonderfully complemented by its glossy dark green foliage. Its large, double, crinkled flowers are filled with petals that have a texture resembling tissue paper, but they never form any fruits. This is unimportant considering its generosity and true adaptability: if protected during its early years, the young plant will become a robust bush, indifferent to drought and much hardier than one might think, as evidenced by an old specimen that has been growing in the ground for over 20 years at the Botanical Garden of the University of Strasbourg. 

The origins of the pomegranate tree are believed to lie in a vast region that covers southeastern Europe and extends eastwards to the Himalayas. This deciduous tree belonging to the Lythraceae family is related to the purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which is widespread near watercourses. It has been cultivated since ancient times for its fruits and magnificent flowering.

The 'Maxima Rubra' variety, like all double-flowered pomegranate cultivars, does not produce fruits but offers large, double flowers. It quickly forms a non-thorny cluster of tangled branches with fairly rapid growth until it reaches maturity, which does not occur before the age of 5. The adult plant develops at a much slower pace, eventually forming a small tree 3.5m (11 ft 6 in) tall and 2.5 to 3m (8 ft 2 in to 9 ft 10 in) wide, with a slightly spreading and rounded habit, more upright than fruit-bearing varieties. From a cluster, it becomes a tree with a trunk that has a twisted appearance, reminiscent of the charm of olive trees. The flowering occurs en masse in June-July, and then more sporadically throughout the summer. The large flowers are composed of numerous crinkled petals emerging from a thick, waxy-textured calyx that already resembles a pomegranate, but will fall without forming any fruit. They are intense vermilion red under the summer sun, in perfect harmony with the intense, vivid, and shiny green foliage. The deciduous foliage consists of small, thick, glossy, ovate leaves that are bright green. They emerge bronze to purple in spring and turn yellow before falling in autumn.

A symbol of abundance, like its emblematic ancestor of ancient civilizations, the Maxima Rubra pomegranate tree is a magnificent specimen to plant in isolation in all regions where temperatures are not likely to drop below -17°C (1.4 °F). It will grow without any problems wherever olive trees and fig trees manage to thrive. However, it still needs warmth and sun in summer to flower abundantly. It can also be used as a hedge, with regular pruning, combined with a star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides), myrtles, and even, as in the gardens of the Alhambra, large shrub roses (Rosa complicata, Rosa glauca, Ghislaine de Feligonde, Roseraie de l'Haye...). On the terrace, it will stand out in a large pot, alongside citrus trees, Grevillea, and oleanders. This cultivation method allows the tree to be stored in a very bright, warm location in very cold regions.

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