Punica granatum
Lythraceae
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Punica granatum, Pomegranate, Carthaginian apple
Family: Lythraceae
Genus: Punica
• Hardiness: H3 (1 to -5C)
• Type: Deciduous Shrub
• Height: up to 2.5m
• Spread: up to 2.5m
Pomegranate can be seen at the herb farm in Jekka's Herbetum and is available to buy as herb plants.
• Soil type: Sand, Loam, Free Draining
• pH: Acid -Neutral pH
• Habit: Bushy
• Flowering colour: Red
• Flowering time: Summer after 7 years
• Uses: Culinary & Medicinal (Read Jekka's Guide To Culinary Herbs and Medicinal Herbs for more information)
• Attracts pollinators: Yes (Read Jekka's Guide to Pollinators for more information)
• Container suitability: Yes
• UK native: No
• Caution: N/A
• Propagation: Cuttings
• Maintenance: (See Jekka's Blogs on Early Spring, Late Spring, Summer and Autumn maintenance)
• Harvest: N/A
A fruit bearing shrub that originates from Iran, but which has been cultivated around the Mediterranean for centuries. Pomegranate's most recognisable aspect is probably the large quantity of jewel-red seeds it contains. Although not used medicinally by Western herbalists, it does have a traditional use in Ayurveda. Here it is used as an aphrodisiac and is said to balance oestrogen levels so may be of value during menopause. In addition, its perceived calming effects on the digestive system make it a remedy in cases of acid indigestion and its astringent quality helps in instances of diarrhoea.
Caution: Avoid in constipation.
Please note: The information provided here is for educational interest only and is not intended to be used to diagnose or treat significant health problems. Any serious or long-term health concerns should always be discussed with a healthcare professional.
See our blog for more information about the National Institute of Medical Herbalists
At Jekka’s we sell herbs in 1 Ltr and 2 Ltr pots. These are established and hardy herb plants that are grown following organic principals and to survive the UK climate. Please read Jekka's blog that contains her top steps to growing on your herbs.
There is also ‘Jekka’s Seasonal Tips’ series that covers growing and maintaining herbs in early spring, late spring, summer and autumn & winter. Together they form Jekka’s guide on how to grow herbs. For a hands-on herb experience, where you will learn how to grow herbs, check out our Master Classes.
Our herbs are designed to be grown in containers or planted in the garden. Although some herbs will be quite happy indoors, most prefer being outside. Please see our indoor growing blog for more information.
If you require pots or compost, we have developed Jekka's Herb Kits, which includes Jekka's "Grow On" Kit. These kits contain all you need to grow on your herbs.
If you think your herbs need a little more attention we always recommend an environmentally friendly solution, and these are Jekka's top three:
- Maxicrop liquid seaweed: 'Feed on Fridays' as Jekka always says for all round good plant health.
- SB Invigorator: a safe and effective insecticide and fungicide to help control a wide range of pest species
- Epsom salts: the horticultural equivalent of what you put in your bath that will top up the plant's magnesium and stop orange leaves.
Please note, the compost in Jekka's Kits will have enough natural food for approximately 6 weeks.
For more information on growing herbs plants please see Jekkapedia, Jekka's blog or our FAQs page.
Happy Herbs!
One of our three core roots is that we are Environmentally Conscious and for the past 30 years all the herbs grown at Jekka’s have been raised following sustainable, environmentally friendly and organic approaches resulting in a remarkable biodiversity at the herb farm.
Our herb seeds are also untreated and can be used to grow organic herb plants. Our seeds are hand packed into gassine bags, which are fully recyclable, compostable and biodegradable. These bags are then put into beautifully illustrated paper seed packets. Therefore, our environmental footprint is small.
Want to know more? You can read more about our sustainability approach to growing herbs in one of Jekka's Blogs. See also: