Dwarf varieties are also known. It is usually deciduous, but in certain areas the leaves will persist on the tree. The trunk is covered by a red-brown bark which later becomes gray. The branches are stiff, angular and often spiny. There is a strong tendency to sucker from the base.
Pomegranates are also long-lived.
There are specimens in Europe that are known to be over 200 years of age. The vigor of a pomegranate declines after about 15 years, however. The pomegranate has glossy, leathery leaves that are narrow and lance-shaped. The attractive scarlet, white or variegated flowers are over an inch across and have 5 to 8 crumpled petals and a red, fleshy, tubular calyx which persists on the fruit. The flowers may be solitary or grouped in twos and threes at the ends of the branches.