Punica granatum Black Fruit - Pomegranate

Punica granatum 'Black Fruit' is a variety of pomegranate rare in cultivation, distinguished by the almost black colour of its fruits. They contain juicy, red grains of balanced flavour, both acidic and sweet, pleasant in the mouth. The crumpled, bright orange flowers of this small tree, are also very decorative in summer, as is its golden foliage in autumn. It is a cultivar relatively resistant to cold, but requires a summer that is both long and hot to ripen its fruits, in late October or early November in warmer regions. This fruit tree can be planted all year round (except during frost), but preferably in autumn, in any deep and well-draining soil, even relatively dry.

The Black Fruits pomegranate is a self-fertile cultivar of uncertain origin, possibly Italian or Portuguese. Its ancestor, the Punica granatum, is a small tree or large shrub belonging to the Lythraceae family, related to the purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) widespread near watercourses. It is native to a vast region that covers southeastern Europe and extends eastward to the Himalayas. It is a long-lived species, capable of living up to 200 years.

'Black Fruits' first forms a clump of thorny and tangled branches in its youth, showing fairly rapid growth until maturity, which does not occur before the age of 5-6 years. The adult plant develops at a much slower pace, forming after a few years a small tree about 3-4 m (9 ft 10 in-13 ft 1 in) tall and at least 2.50 m (8 ft 2 in) wide, with a spreading and rounded habit. From a clump it can become a tree supported by a trunk with twisted appearance, reminiscent of olive trees, if pruned.

Flowering occurs abundantly in June-July, and then more sporadically throughout the summer. The flowers measure about 4 cm (1.6 in) in diameter. They are composed of crumpled, orange petals tinged with red, emerging from a thick waxy-textured calyx that already evokes the future pomegranate. The pomegranates produced by this variety are curiously coloured black when ripe. These are round fruits, about the size of an apple. The interior consists of thick white membranes, containing multiple seeds surrounded by a very juicy red pulp. It is these fleshy grains, called arils, that are consumed. Pomegranates are used to make the famous grenadine syrup, but they can also be consumed as juice, sorbet, in pastries, fruit salads, mixed salads, or as an accompaniment to poultry. Rich in antioxidants and vitamins, pomegranate is a refreshing fruit with a slightly sour and sweet flavour. It is harvested in autumn, about 4 to 5 months after flowering. Pick the fruits when the skin becomes very dark and just begins to crack. Pomegranates do not ripen further after harvest but can be stored for several months in a cool and dry place. The first fruits appear on the pomegranate from the fourth or fifth year of cultivation.

The deciduous foliage is composed of small, thick, shiny, and very vibrant green oval leaves. They emerge bronze to purple in spring and turn golden yellow before falling in autumn.

Symbol of abundance like its emblematic ancestor of ancient civilizations, the Black Fruit pomegranate is a magnificent subject to be planted in an isolated position in a warm location. Hardy down to -13/-15°C (8.6/5 °F), it will grow without any problems wherever olive trees and fig trees manage to survive. However, its magnificent fruits generally only ripen in the southernmost regions. It can also be used in a large Mediterranean fruit hedge, associated with Osage orange, bitter orange, a small fig tree (Dalmatia, Golden), Japanese medlar, etc.

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 widely planted in the mythical gardens of the Alhambra palace. This tree also adorned the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the Romans discovered it in Carthage, naming it the Carthaginian Apple.