POMEGRANATES-FRUIT OF THE ANCIENTS
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' in height. 'Nana,' which is only 1½', 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 bicolors.
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 prehistoric 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.
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