POMEGRANATES-FRUIT
OF THE ANCIENTS
By Connie Krochmal, January 1, 2003
Winter. Were it not for the pomegranate, we wouldn’t even have winter, according to a classical myth.
Pomegranate--fruit of the ancients--is a very attractive plant for USDA zones 7b-10. It’s a very worthy choice for the edible landscape where the twisted trunks and branches are particularly ornamental. In cooler areas it can be grown as a container plant or bonsai.
Depending on how you train it, pomegranate may be a single stem tree or a multi-stem shrub 15-20 feet in height. “Nana,” which is only 1 ½”, is the exception. By proper pruning, most pomegranates can be kept to about 7-12 feet.
Suited to both part shade and full sun, pomegranate will tolerate adverse conditions and still produce fruit, which isn’t true for all fruit plants. It withstands exposure to salty soils and drought very well. The only thing it does require is a well-drained soil. It does best where summers are warm and dry.
In cooler sub-tropical areas pomegranates will be deciduous. But elsewhere the shiny, attractive green leaves, 2-4” long, are evergreen. The young foliage is reddish, later becoming green.
Generally, pomegranates bloom from June to August. However, some of the dwarf cultivars can bloom year-round. The attractive flowers may be four inches across. They can vary in color from pure white and pink to pale yellow, reddish orange, red, and bi-colors.
Do be careful when you’re choosing cultivars. Shirobotan and Chico bear no fruit.
For the most part pomegranates are problem-free. They’re rarely bothered by pests.
You can grow your own pomegranate from seeds or from cuttings. Naturally the named cultivars are grown from cuttings.
The decorative fruits, which are greenish yellow or brown with reddish areas, ripen in the fall, about five to seven months after flowering. They can vary in size considerably from about the size of a golf ball or baseball to that of a medium-sized cantaloupe. Technically they’re considered a fleshy berry.
The fruit cavity is just packed with tender, delicious, edible seeds. The fleshy pulp between the seeds is also delectable. Though pomegranates are often eaten fresh, they’re also ideal for syrups, jams, jellies, preserves, and juice. The juice is made into cool drinks, and is used for making Grenadine.
Pomegranates just seem to last a longer than some other common fruits. So they’re often used for decorative purposes in fruit bowls.
Pomegranates have been cultivated since pre-historic times. Apparently they were native to Persia (modern-day Iran) and adjacent countries. It still grows in the wild in western and southern Asia. Remains of the fruit were found in archeological digs at Nimrud and Jericho. In the Old Testament, it’s called rimmon.
In the Temple of Solomon the pomegranate was a favorite motif. Several years ago an ivory carving of a pomegranate from the late 8th century B.C.E. made its appearance in the antiquities market. Reputed to be from the Temple of Solomon, this controversial artifact was acquired by the Israel Museum. Where was it found? Who found it? No one has ever said.
Pomegranates were unearthed in a 3000-year-old shipwreck off the southern coast of Turkey. Apparently they were part of the sailors’ diet.
The earliest known menu featured pomegranates. Carved in hieroglyphics on the stone tablets of a pyramid, the meal celebrated the birth of the prince’s two sons, one who would become Ramses III. Incidentally, the ancient Egyptians fermented pomegranate juice to make wine, and used the rind to expel worms.
A complete history of pomegranate in various cultures is available at the British Medical Journal website from its sacred meaning in major religions to its medicinal purposes. They chose it as a logo for the Millennium Festival of Medicine because of its important role throughout history. It’s featured in the coat of arms in several medical associations that participated in the festival. Pomegranates are depicted in art and literature from the Odyssey and the plays of Shakespeare to the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The pomegranate of Aragon is used to decorate the stained glass of the Great Hall and the roof of the New Chapel of lghtham Mote, owned by Sir Richard Clement, courtier to Henry VIII.
A painting by Salvo Russo done in 1997 uses pomegranates as a symbol of love. This moving work is only one of many paintings depicting fruits and plants in a wonderful collection of art, Flora-Gardens and Plants in Art and Literature by Edward Lucie-Smith, published by Watson-Guptill.
The Romans knew pomegranate as the “apple of Carthage.” The Latin name for pomegranate is Punica granatum. Punica is derived from Punic, the name for the language of Carthage. In Latin, pomegranate means “apple of many seeds.”
Blame the pomegranate for winter if you like. An ancient myth says that is how the earth came to have seasons. It occurred when Persephone ate a few pomegranate seeds after she was abducted by the god of the dead and taken to Hades. Demeter, her mother, was the goddess of agriculture and fertility, mourned her loss. Through her efforts Persephone was released from the underworld for part of the year. For each seed she ate the earth is barren for a month.
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Photo Courtesy of Cooks Thesaurus Common Tropical Fruit
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