Botany Department

There are two species of deciduous shrubs in this genus from southeast and south Asia. The pomegranate is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical climates both as an ornamental and for its edible fruit. The plant grows to 20 feet tall with red-orange flowers and produces subglobose fruit 3-5 inches in diameter. A cooling, slightly tart drink, known as "granadine", is made from the pulpy seeds with the addition of sugar and water. This is much used in the southern United States and in certain parts of Asia and Europe, and is especially useful for fevers. This variety, 'Nana' or Dwarf Pomegranate, grows only to 6 feet tall and is often grown as a low hedge in the south and also as a pot plant, flowering when still very young.