Editing Pomegranate (section)

== Cultivation ==
''P. granatum'' is grown for its vegetable crop, and as [[ornamental tree]]s and shrubs in parks and gardens. Mature specimens can develop sculptural twisted bark, multiple trunks, and a distinctive overall form. Pomegranates are [[drought]]-tolerant, and can be grown in dry areas with either a Mediterranean winter rainfall climate or in summer rainfall climates. In wetter areas, they can be prone to root decay from [[fungus|fungal]] diseases. They can tolerate moderate [[frost]], down to about {{convert|-12|°C|°F|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Ali Sarkhosh|author2=Jeff Williamson|date=October 2018|orig-date=April 1994|title=The Pomegranate|publisher=UF/IFAS Extension|url= http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/MG/MG05600.pdf|access-date=7 May 2020}}</ref>

Insect pests of the pomegranate can include the butterflies ''[[Virachola isocrates]]'', ''[[Iraota timoleon]]'', ''[[Deudorix epijarbas]]'', and the leaf-footed bug ''[[Leptoglossus zonatus]]'', and fruit flies and ants are attracted to unharvested ripe fruit.<ref>{{cite book | last = Ingels| first= Chuck |display-authors=etal | title=The Home Orchard: Growing Your Own Deciduous Fruit and Nut Trees | page=26 | year=2007 | publisher=University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources}}</ref> 

=== Propagation ===
''P. granatum'' reproduces sexually in nature but can be propagated using [[Asexual reproduction|asexual]] reproduction. Propagation methods include [[layering]], hardwood cuttings, softwood cuttings and [[Plant tissue culture|tissue culture]]. Required conditions for rooting cuttings include warm temperatures within the 18 – 29&nbsp;°C (65 – 85&nbsp;°F) range and a semi-humid environment. [[Auxin|Rooting hormone]] increases rooting success rate but is not required.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Center |first=UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education |title=Pomegranate Enterprise - Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) - University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences - UF/IFAS |url=https://crec.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/pomegranates/pomegranate-enterprise/ |access-date=5 December 2024 |website=crec.ifas.ufl.edu |language=en}}</ref> Grafting is possible but impractical and tends to yield low success rates.

=== Varieties ===
''P. granatum'' [[variety (botany)|var.]] ''nana'' is a dwarf variety of ''P. granatum'' popularly planted as an [[ornamental plant]] in gardens and larger containers, and used as a [[bonsai]] specimen tree. It could well be a wild form with a distinct origin. It has gained the [[Royal Horticultural Society]]'s [[Award of Garden Merit]].<ref>{{cite web|title=''Punica granatum'' var. ''nana''|url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/67011/Punica-granatum-var-nana/Details|date=2024|publisher=Royal Horticultural Society|access-date=23 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf|title=AGM Plants - Ornamental|date=March 2020|page=90|publisher= Royal Horticultural Society|access-date=7 May 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200503221317/https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf|archive-date=3 May 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>

The only other species in the genus ''[[Punica]]'' is the [[Punica protopunica|Socotran pomegranate]] (''P. protopunica''), which is [[endemic (ecology)|endemic]] to the [[Socotra]]n archipelago of four islands located in the Arabian Sea, the largest island of which is also known as Socotra. The territory is part of Yemen. It differs in having pink (not red) flowers and smaller, less sweet fruit.<ref>{{cite web|title=Punica granatum - the Drops of Blood from Garden of Eden|url=http://toptropicals.com/html/toptropicals/plant_wk/pomegranate.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123032753/http://toptropicals.com/html/toptropicals/plant_wk/pomegranate.htm|archive-date=23 January 2013}}</ref>

=== Cultivars ===
[[File:Black Pomegranate.JPG|thumb|upright|left|Black pomegranate]]
''P. granatum'' has more than 500 named [[cultivar]]s, but has considerable synonymy in which the same [[genotype]] is named differently across regions of the world.<ref name=stover/>

Several characteristics between pomegranate genotypes vary for identification, consumer preference, preferred use, and [[marketing]], the most important of which are fruit size, [[exocarp]] color (ranging from yellow to purple, with pink and red most common), seed-coat color (ranging from white to red), the hardness of seed, maturity, juice content and its acidity, sweetness, and [[astringency]].<ref name=stover/>