Punica granatum Nana Racemosa - Pomegranate

Punica granatum 'Nana Racemosa' is a small form of Pomegranate that is much less well-known than Punica granatum 'Nana'. Slightly larger than the latter, it is also distinguished by its single, bright red flowers and its long-lasting flowering that produces almost no fruits. Its flowers are perfectly highlighted by glossy light green foliage. It can be grown in a large pot or in the ground and is suitable for all gardeners. It thrives in most regions, as it has excellent resistance to drought and is quite hardy.

The origins of the pomegranate are likely to be in a vast region that covers southeastern Europe and extends eastward to the Himalayas. This deciduous small tree of the lythraceae family is related to the purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) which is so common near watercourses. It has been cultivated since ancient times for its fruits and magnificent flowering.

The 'Nana Racemosa' pomegranate is a compact, bushy cultivar with slow growth reaching between 1m and 1.80m in height and 1m to 1.50m in width depending on the growing conditions. It slowly forms a tangle of tangled, thorny branches, and does not reach maturity until the age of 5. The adult plant develops at a much slower pace, forming a slightly spreading and rounded bush after a few years. Flowering begins in June and continues until September. It will be more or less abundant depending on the climate and sunlight. The single, 3.5 cm wide flowers, are composed of crumpled petals emerging from a thick, waxy-textured calyx. They are intensely red under the summer sun, in perfect chromatic harmony with the bright, shiny light green foliage. This flowering is visited by pollinating insects, but it only produces a few small and insignificant pomegranates. The deciduous foliage consists of small, thick, shiny oval leaves. They emerge bronze to purple in spring and turn yellow before falling in autumn.

The 'Nana Racemosa' pomegranate is a magnificent subject to plant in a large pot on the terrace or in a not very tall hedge. This shrub can be grown in the ground in all regions where temperatures are not likely to drop below -15°C. It will grow without any problems wherever the olive tree and the fig tree can survive. It pairs well with Myrtus communis Tarentina, Mexican orange blossom (Choisya ternata), and Photinia 'Little Red Robin'. It can even be paired with bush roses with clustered flowers in a completely different style, such as 'Astronomia' or 'Matchball'. On the terrace, it will stand out in a large pot, alongside other patio shrubs. This cultivation method allows the tree to be stored over winter in a very bright room 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, brought by the Moors and planted abundantly 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.