Note from the Author: Something that was overdue.
Unripe fruit. 
This is a flower bud. 
The flowers have fused petals and appear on new growth. 
The leaves are roughly lanceolate.
Common Name: Dwarf Pomegranate
Other Common Names: Not Applicable
Botanical Family: Lythraceae (The Henna Family)
Botanical Latin Name: Punica granatum var. ‘Nana’
Description & Habitat:
Dwarf Pomegranates are best described as a woody shrub that is deciduous and hardy in the ground in USDA zones 8 to 10; some online sources say it is hardy up to zone 7. Dwarf Pomegranates are drought and deer tolerant and can be found growing in a wide variety of soils. The leaves arrangement can vary as on a single plant you might find alternate, opposite and whorled leaf arrangements. In terms of shape the leaves are generally lanceolate shaped with an entire margin that may be anywhere from three to six inches long. Most of the season the leaves are green in color with a lighter green underside, but in spring the foliage has a reddish-bronze coloration and in fall before the leaves drop pomegranate foliage is a golden-yellow color. Dwarf Pomegranates also have thorns that are on average between ¼” to ½” and are straight and spike shaped like the fruiting spurs found on Pears. Despite what many online sources suggest the full size of this perennial is said to be 2-4 feet in height and spread however the specimen on the farm did not get that memo and might have reached 10 or more feet tall if it wasn’t pruned annually. The flowers of Dwarf Pomegranate are roughly trumpet shaped with unusual fused petals and are a reddish-pink color and only get about three inches long. The fruit is roughly spherical in shape and starts off with a glossy green skin that eventually gets a more matte texture with a noticeable red blush when ripe. Dwarf Pomegranate fruit at most gets about 3” in diameter and despite the small size is equally edible when compared to its relative with larger fruit. Pomegranate flowers attract Pollinators and Hummingbirds. The genus name of this plant comes from the Latin name from punicum malium or ‘Carhaginian Apple’ which has its roots in Poenus, Carthaginians and Phoinikes, Phoenicians. The specific epithet ‘granatum’ means many-seeded, while the word Pomegranate itself comes from the Latin word ‘pomium’ meaning apple.
Special Toxicity Note:
Not applicable
When & What to Harvest:
The fruit is best harvested in mid to late fall after the skin of the fruit has lost its glossiness and gained a reddish hue with a somewhat rough texture.
Related Plants:
Pomegranate (Punica granatum), the full sized type.
Recipe:
I’m going to link straight to this one, it sounds fantastic!
https://www.pomwonderful.com/recipes/butternut-squash-ravioli-with-peppered-pom-sauce
Additional Information: (If applicable)
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/punica-granatum/
Where to get Seed or Bare Root Plants:
https://www.edenbrothers.com/products/pomegranate-seeds-dwarf
With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but my booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog. In addition to being able to process card payments we now take CashApp payments so your payment options for my product have tripled. With that said; if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic fruit, herbs, flowers and perennials, come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.
Fresh Foods
Fig Leaf Tea, 8oz
Fig Leaf Powder, 4oz
Soup Kit, Parsnip
Soup Kit, Turnip
Carrots
Onions
Turnips
Celery
Red Potatoes
Parsnips
Fall Plants
Brussels Sprouts
Collards
Corn Salad / Mache
Kale, Dinosaur
Kale, Ragged Jack
Kale, Rubybor
Kale, Scotch Blue
Lettuce, Buttercrunch
Sorrel, Raspberry Dressing
Garden Supply
Live Mushroom Compost, 1 Gallon
Live Mushroom Compost, 3 Gallon
How to stay in Contact with Us!
All you need to keep up with all our activities is to have a Nextdoor account and to look for the ‘Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville’ group and ask to join! You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join us! Feel free to ask all your garden questions of our knowledgeable membership and post your cool garden pictures.
Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville
Also please take a gander at the YouTube version of this blog:
The Videos: Look Here
>Newest videos (1): Berggarten Sage
With all of the updates, blog posts, community announcements and the main topic handled remember that Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville’s meetings are still going on! Our next (unofficial) meeting is October 10th at the Fayetteville City Market at 325 Franklin Street between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm, or at North South Brewing on the same day between 1:00 and 5:00pm