Pomegranate

The plant has a strong tendency to produce root suckers and form dense thickets. It is a small tree or shrub with a bushy habit, deciduous and broad-leaved, reaching heights of 5-6 meters and can live over 100 years. The leaves are opposite or sub-opposite, glossy, narrow, elongated, entire, 2 cm wide, and 4-7 cm long, with late winter leaf drop. The flowers are bright red, about 3 cm in diameter, blooming in May. The fruit, pomegranate (balausta), is robust with a hard, leathery rind, round or slightly elongated, 5-12 cm in diameter, with numerous seeds (arils) surrounded by translucent pulp. The fruit has an apical crown and matures in October-November.