Pomegranate has red orbs that explode with a tangy but sweet juice and crunchy white seeds. But the tree doesn't just give tasty fruits, it also has beautiful flowers that start blossoming in May.
Blooming orange-colored pomegranate flowers. /VCG
The pomegranate is a tree native to Iran and India. The showy red or orange flowers are quite the show stopper. Sometimes they appear along with the fruit at the same time.
The pomegranate blossom gradually changes into a fruit. /VCG
Unlike many fruit trees, both male and female pomegranate flowers are produced on the same tree, which means the male flower can pollinate other flowers on the same tree or other trees. Gardeners who like pomegranate could only grow one tree in their gardens, and enjoy the flowers with light, sweet fragrance and the fruit that comes later on.
As pomegranate comes from hot and dry regions, it is quite hardy to drought and not difficult to grow at all. It can live in almost any type of soil, and only needs water about once a week. Different varieties of pomegranate plants might make them either a fruit specimen or just a specimen for flower, so if you hope to keep one that can produce both showy flowers and tasty fruits, be sure to choose the right specimen at the beginning.
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(All images via VCG)
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