Construction of Pomegranate Specialized Garden in Hefei Botanical Garden and Analysis on the Application of Pomegranate Varieties

Jimei ZHANG Yueting ZHAI Weiqiao ZHOU Geng LING

Abstract Through an overview of the construction and development process of the pomegranate specialized garden in Hefei Botanical Garden， the collection and application status of the pomegranate varieties in the specialized garden were introduced， and the significance of the construction of the pomegranate specialized garden and the related problems that exist and need to be solved urgently were analyzed. This paper put forward suggestions and solutions for the better application of pomegranate varieties in Hefei， laying a foundation for the later research on pomegranate.

Key words Pomegranate specialized garden; Construction and application; Exploration

Received： May 7， 2021  Accepted： July 1 2021

Jimei ZHANG （1983-）， female， P. R. China， senior engineer， devoted to research about garden plant cultivation and application.

*Corresponding author. E-mail： 28616048@qq.com.

Pomegranate （Punica granatum L.） is a deciduous shrub or small tree belonging to the genus Punica in Punicaceae. It is also known as Anshiliu， Ruoliu， Danruo， Jinying， Jinpang， Tulin， etc.   As a fruit tree， thousands of hectares of contiguous commodity pomegranate bases have formed in Lintong in Shaanxi Province， Zaozhuang in Shandong Province， Rongyang， Kaifeng and Fengqiu in Henan Province， Huaiyuan and Huaibei in Anhui Province， Mengzi， Qiaojia and Huize in Yunnan Province， Panzhihua and Xichang in Sichuan Province， and Xinjiang[1]. Pomegranate trees have a short crown， twisted branches， gorgeous flowers， and a long flowering period， and the flowers， fruit， leaves and branches of pomegranate have good ornamental value， so it is an excellent tree species for landscaping[2]. It can be seen that pomegranate is a rare and excellent tree species for both flowers and fruit， and it plays an important role in both landscaping and economy.

The Origin and Culture of Pomegranate

Pomegranate was originally produced in the Himalayas from ancient Persia to northwestern India. Its center is Persia and its surrounding areas， which are now Central Asia such as Iran and Afghanistan. It might be introduced from Central Asia into China in the Han Dynasty， and its cultivation history has been more than two thousand years[3-4].

Since ancient times， pomegranate flowers have attracted peoples love because of its fiery red color， and have been widely chanted by literati and writers. Cao Zhi wrote： "The leaves of the pomegranate planted in the front of the courtyard are light blue， swinging. The flowers are burning red， radiant and glorious." He likened the pomegranate flowers to a beautiful girl. Pan Yues "Anshiliu Fu" says： "Pomegranate， the wonderful tree in the world， the famous fruit of Jiuzhou， produces fruit and is also glorious， and the taste is also special……"[5].

The pomegranate culture has a long history and has created numerous tourism resources. With the development of tourism economy， many main producing areas of pomegranate have begun to carry out colorful tourism projects with the theme of pomegranate culture. The pomegranate orchard of Tens of thousands of acres in Huaibei City， Anhui Province has become the largest ancient pomegranate community in East China. The oldest tree in the orchard is more than 400 years old， and the orchard still retains more than 1 000 mu of ancient pomegranate trees from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The tourism project with the theme of pomegranate culture has become an important business card of Huaibei Citys tourism resources. Known as the No.1 Pomegranate Garden in the World—Guanshi Pomegranate Garden Scenic Area， is located in Yicheng District， Zaozhuang City， Shandong Province. The "10 000 mu Pomegranate Garden" has become a key tourist area in Shandong Province. Every year during the pomegranate blooming or harvest season， thousands of Chinese and foreign tourists come for sightseeing.

Current Status of Pomegranate Cultivation and Application in Hefei

The pomegranate trees enjoy light and grow vigorously， and produce good fruit with high quality under strong sunlight and good ventilation. Pomegranate is extremely adaptable. It can grow normally when the pH of the soil is between 4.5 and 8.2. It can be grown on flat land， slope land， barren land， and sandy beach land， and calcareous loam and loose sandy loam are better[2]. Pomegranate likes warm environments. When the lowest temperature in winter is below -17 ℃， freezing damage will occur， leading to plant death[6]. The pomegranate trees are tolerant to drought， barren soil， intolerant to waterlogging and damp and stagnant water. In terms of stress resistance， pomegranate trees have the best performance compared with other garden plants[6].

Pomegranate Variety Garden

Establishment of pomegranate variety garden

In 2006， on the basis of the investigation and analysis of the germplasm resources of Chinese pomegranate varieties by Wang et al.， Hefei Botanical Garden has successfully introduced more than 60 pomegranate varieties in the early stage， and established a pomegranate variety resource nursery， laying a foundation and providing prerequisites for the pomegranate variety garden of Hefei Botanical Garden to become an important nursery bank of pomegranate variety resources in China.

Variety garden landscape improvement

Landscape is an important carrier of human perception of culture. It conveys ideological culture to humans concretely. With the continuous advancement of urbanization， people are increasingly eager to get close to nature and return to nature. The landscape improvement of the Pomegranate Variety Garden in Hefei Botanical Garden is also the construction of the landscape of the garden， respecting the spirit of the unique landscape culture and building a natural and beautiful landscape culture.

In the world， Spain， Libya and other countries respect pomegranate flowers as their national flower. Cities in China， such as Xian in Shaanxi Province， Hefei in Anhui Province， Xinxiang in Henan Province， and Zaozhuang in Shandong Province， also regard pomegranate flowers as the city flower[7]. Pomegranate is the city flower in Hefei， and the establishment of a pomegranate variety garden will help build the landscape and cultural characteristics of Hefei. On the one hand， through the combination of pomegranates status as a city flower and regional culture， the pomegranate variety garden is endowed with a strong cultural heritage， and the landscape culture built with the theme of "Pomegranate Variety Garden" is passed on to tourists， that is to say， a unique landscape that attracts tourists is also built. On the other hand， on this basis， developing a series of tourist projects， promoting cultural propaganda and establishing a base for popular science education can show the pomegranate flower culture and its plant status in Hefei to tourists more comprehensively.

Regional Division of Pomegranate Specialized Garden

The Pomegranate Specialized Garden covers an area of 3 hm2. The Pomegranate Specialized Garden is constructed relying on the surrounding environment and following the site characteristics. According to different landscape functions， it is divided into four spatial patterns， namely， a cultural square， a variety planting area， and an ancient pomegranate planting demonstration area.

Culture square

The Pomegranate Specialized Garden Square （Fig. 1） uses the artificial plastic rockery made of pomegranate seeds to create the sweet temperament of the pomegranate garden. The landscape style of the square focuses on de-urbanization， reflecting the overall local characteristics， ecology and landscape of the garden. The stone style is conducive to the integration of the building and the natural environment， and strengthens its connection with the surrounding sites in terms of color and texture.

"Wuyue Liuhua Zhaoyanming" is the biggest landscape feature of the pomegranate garden; and the "butchart garden style" with super long viewing distance is carefully built by the method of landscape gardening using the existing plants in the garden， combining the topography. Rainwater collection， purification and the use of gardens provide a model for enriching the concept of "sponge city" construction and the construction of economical green space.

Variety planting area

In 2018， during the expansion of the Botanical Garden， the pomegranate resource nursery was re-planned and transformed， and the landscape of the pomegranate garden in Hefei Botanical Garden was renewed. During this period， Hefei Botanical Garden continued to investigate and collect new varieties from various places. The garden has collected more than 500 plants of more than 70 varieties of pomegranate trees which are used for both flowers and fruit and ancient pomegranate trees， including the main pomegranate varieties from all major pomegranate producing areas in China， and become one of the important specialized gardens in the park.

The varieties in the pomegranate garden are mainly red， pink， white， mixed colors and other colors， and there are also different pomegranate varieties with single， double， and double petals.  They have created a beautiful， lively and unique pomegranate garden landscape. Through the display of excellent pomegranate varieties in this area， not only many pomegranate varieties have been preserved， but also the research premise for the selection and application of new pomegranate varieties has been provided. The garden also allows the conduction of popular science education on pomegranate varieties， providing visitors with a variety of viewing areas， and simultaneously providing a communication place and platform for professional and technical personnel in pomegranate-related cultivation and application research.

Demonstration area for planting ancient pomegranate trees

The pomegranate varieties in the ancient pomegranate planting demonstration area mainly include Dabenzi， pink-skinned pomegranate， Manaohong， and Baopicao. This area is also planted with 20 kinds of trees including Prunus davidiana ‘Albo-plena， Albizia Julibrissin， Cercis glabra Pampan.， Prunus lannesiana ‘Kawazu-zakura， 10 kinds of shrubs such as Camellia sasanqua Thunb.， Hypericum monogynum L.， Hibiscus syriacus f. amplissimus， Hibiscus mutabilis Linn.， Kerria japonica （L.） DC.， Rhododendron simsii Planch.， as well as more than 30 kinds of perennial plants， such as Sanguisorba officinalis L.， Ardisia japonica （Thunb） Blume， Stachys lanata， Astilbe chinensis （Maxim.） Franch. et Savat.， Verbena officinalis L.， Leucanthemum maximum （Ramood） DC.， Echinacea purpurea （Linn.） Moench， Viola philippica， Corydalis edulis Maxim.， Eustoma grandiflorum （Raf.） Shinners， Papaver rhoeas L.， Belamcanda chinensis （L.） Redouté， Kniphofia uvaria （L.） Oken， and Farfugrium japonicum （L. f.） Kitam. In addition， various climbing roses are planted.

Landscape recreation area

In the process of landscape construction， it is first based on the creation of rural scenery. For the beautification of production areas， roads and other environments， too many gorgeous landscape thinking modes are also avoided， and the landscaping is connected to the background environment， and constructed along the tour route. There are sceneries everywhere， maintaining the natural and beautiful pastoral pattern. Secondly， the landscape leisure area makes the finishing point， creating a strong pastoral characteristic， which further enhances the overall landscape effect of the garden.

The landscape leisure area is an integral part of tourism and sightseeing. At the end of the winding path， there are two leisure places， where you can enjoy the different landscape experience of the entire garden separately， and a full range of travel， appreciation and rest space is cleverly constituted within the landscape. The use of the wood-based screen in the second resting place also effectively weakens the summer sun exposure， creating a quiet and leisurely space， giving visitors a strong sense of belonging. It is a leisure activity space where visitors can quietly and comfortably enjoying rest time in the pomegranate garden， satisfying touring， appreciating and rest together.

Jimei ZHANG et al. Construction of Pomegranate Specialized Garden in Hefei Botanical Garden and Analysis on the Application of Pomegranate Varieties

Application Status of Pomegranate Varieties in Hefei

Pomegranate is a highly ornamental plant with both flowers and fruit. Because of its beautiful flowers and fruit， pomegranate is highly adaptable for cultivation. Meanwhile， pomegranate trees have a peculiar shape and vigorous branches， showing the vigorous beauty of being proud and ready to go. It has extremely high ornamental value and special artistic effects， and is deeply loved by people.

After more than ten years of hard work， Hefei Botanical Garden has collected more than 70 varieties， of which ornamental pomegranate varieties account for about 1/2. Ornamental pomegranate trees generally do not bear fruit. They are won by flowers. They are diverse in color and variety， and the flowers mostly have double petals， and are delicate and charming. Some varieties of flowers and fruits can be appreciated. They are widely used in Hefei and are loved by tourists. The ornamental varieties that are widely cultivated and used in Hefei mainly include： Mudanhuashiliu， Sajinsi， Punica granatum L. var. nana Sweet， Moshiliu， etc.

Pomegranate can be appreciated in both flowers and fruit. The trees are elegant， the leaves are green and shiny， the flowers are bright as fire， and the fruit becomes red and yellow lanterns and hangs between the green branches in mid autumn. Therefore， in fact， the artificial boundary between the ornamental pomegranate varieties and the edible pomegranate varieties is not precise. In Hefei， most of the pomegranate varieties have good flower viewing effects， and there are many pomegranate varieties for fruit viewing. They are widely planted in front and back of houses， and are often planted along streets and walls. They can also be enjoyed as bonsai in the family. However， pomegranate trees are rarely used in gardens， and large-scale industrial planting has not yet been seen.

Existing Problems and Countermeasures

Although Hefei Botanical Garden has introduced many highly ornamental pomegranate varieties in recent years. On the one hand， many local citizens do not know that pomegranate is the "city flower" in Hefei. Therefore， there is a deep regret of "being raised in a deep boudoir without getting known". On the other hand， although there are many varieties of pomegranate which are loved by people， pomegranate has not been well promoted and applied in the landscaping of Hefei area.

Multi-directional Construction of Pomegranates Main Status as a "City Flower" in Hefei

The fiery red flowers of pomegranate are burning like fire， which can bring positive feelings and strength to people. The fruit is full and symbolizes social harmony and the peoples life is full and happy. Many cities and counties in China regard pomegranate as the city flower， and pomegranate is the "city flower" of Hefei. Abroad， pomegranate is also designated as the national flower by Spain and other countries.

The establishment of the main status of the "city flower" is helpful to the formation of local urban culture. Urban culture needs to fully demonstrate the status of the pomegranate city flower. The two complement each other and are indispensable to each other. It is necessary to give full play to and utilize the existing abundant germplasm resources， so as to realize the main status of pomegranate as a "city flower" in Hefei. On the one hand， we will continue to communicate with pomegranate producing areas， increase the introduction of pomegranate varieties and expand their planting area， so as to continue to enrich the varieties and applications of pomegranate.

On the other hand， it is necessary to radiate its influence outwards through active publicity， promotion and application， and popular science activities. More popular science activities with pomegranate as the theme can be organized， such as launching various meaningful and distinctive activities including the identification contest of different pomegranate varieties， so as to fully mobilize the enthusiasm of residents to participate. And video， pictures and other media can be used to increase publicity， such as making popular science panels on the main road of the pomegranate garden， allowing visitors to subtly accept the influence of pomegranate culture， effectively demonstrating the rich pomegranate culture and its dominant position in Hefei.

With many varieties of pomegranate， attention should be paid to the introduction and application of ornamental pomegranate in Hefei area

Pomegranate trees have lush branches and leaves and is beautiful in all seasons. It is usually divided into ornamental pomegranate and edible pomegranate according to its purpose. There are currently 292 pomegranate varieties and 5 varieties in China[8]. Hefei Botanical Garden has collected more than 70 varieties of pomegranate. Hefei is the place where the most varieties of pomegranate are collected and protected. In addition to many excellent edible varieties， there are also a variety of ornamental cultivars and varieties. In addition to common single-petal varieties such as Taishanhong， Dahongpitian， and Dabenzi， there are also double-petal varieties such as Mudanhuashiliu， P. granatum L. var. nana Sweet， pink-flowered double-petaled pomegranate， white-flowered double-petaled pomegranate， Sajinsi， and Moshiliu.

Improve the level of professional maintenance

The introduced pomegranate varieties are cultivated and observed， while performing protective grafting on the old pomegranate trees in the garden， so as to preserve the simple appearance of the old pomegranate trees and create the cultural atmosphere of the old pomegranate garden.

Hefei area is dominated by clay， and the temperature is slightly lower than that in Huaiyuan and Huaibei， and the climate and environment are somewhat different from the two major pomegranate producing areas. At present， more attention is paid to the application of ornamental pomegranate varieties in Hefei area， and the application effect of pomegranate fruit in Hefei area is not ideal， or the fruit is not many， or the fruit is not big， or the fruit is not beautiful... In the long-term cultivation and maintenance， on the one hand， it is necessary to refer to the experience of large-scale planting production areas， and on the other hand， it is necessary to combine local climate， soil and other conditions to explore and to create an environment suitable for pomegranate growth. Beautiful red pomegranates can also be seen everywhere in Hefei！

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