Where is pomegranate from

Because of its decorative value in Israel, its selection was done mainly for external appearance, not so much for eating quality. Nice color and crown are very important characteristics of the fruit. The pomegranate tree is native from Iran to the Himalayas in northern India and has been cultivated since ancient times throughout the Mediterranean region of Asia, Africa and Europe.

The fruit was used in many ways as it is today and was featured in Egyptian mythology and art, praised in the Old Testament of the Bible and in the Babylonian Talmud, and it was carried by desert caravans for the sake of its thirst-quenching juice. It traveled to central and southern India from Iran about the first century A. It has been widely cultivated throughout India and drier parts of southeast Asia, Malaya, the East Indies and tropical Africa. There are some commercial orchards in Israel on the coastal plain and in the Jordan Valley.

It is rather commonly planted and has become naturalized in Bermuda where it was first recorded in , but only occasionally seen in the Bahamas, West Indies and warm areas of South and Central America.

Many people grow it at cool altitudes in the interior of Honduras. In Mexico it is frequently planted, and it is sometimes found in gardens in Hawaii.

The tree was introduced in California by Spanish settlers in It is grown for its fruit mostly in the dry zones of that state and Arizona. In California, commercial pomegranate cultivation is concentrated in Tulare, Fresno and Kern counties, with small farms in Imperial and Riverside counties. Ancient cultures understood the health benefits of pomegranates and used it in remedies for digestive disorders, skin disorders, and intestinal parasites, to name a few.

Modern day research has revealed that pomegranates might contribute towards preventing serious conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Hades, God of the underworld, used pomegranate seeds to trick Persephone into returning to the underworld for a few months of every year.

It had a strong association to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, as well as Hera, the Greek goddess of marriage and childbirth. In Ancient Rome, newlywed women wore crowns woven from pomegranate leaves, and the juice of pomegranates was used to cure infertility. The pomegranate is also said to be found in the Garden of Eden according to Ancient Iranian Christianity and was believed to be the real forbidden fruit rather than the apple.

During the non-Christian Iranian tradition, Yalda Night, people come together on winter solstice and eat pomegranate fruit to celebrate the victory of light over darkness. Look out for the pomegranate, a plant heavily laced in symbolic history and celebrated to this day for its many nutritious and medicinal properties, in Kew's Temperate House.

Its gorgeous fruits will be on display right through summer and into spring. You can support our vital science work by becoming a member, donating as an individual or organisation, or volunteering your time. The name of the Spanish city of Granada is also linked with a pomegranate, which has featured in its coat of arms since the city was taken over by Christian rulers.

A pomegranate with a cross is an attribute of St. John of God from Granada, who founded a hospital there in The Hospitalier Order of the Brothers of Saint John of God originated there and chose the pomegranate as their emblem. The pomegranate Punica granatum belongs to the Lythraceae family of loosestrifes. Its botanical name Punica is derived from Latin punicus Punic ; it indicates its origins in the Roman province of Punia Tunisia , whence the Romans imported pomegranates.

The species name granatum granum means grain in Latin bears reference to the many seeds in its fruit. It is common in West to Middle Asia, but has also been cultivated since Antiquity in the Middle East and the Mediterranean — Iran is the biggest pomegranate producer and exporter worldwide. The summer-green tree or shrub with lancet-shaped leaves grows up to 5 m tall, can live for up to years and blossoms coral red in spring and summer.

The delicious red-brown fruit, 5 to 12 cm in diameter, is shaped like an apple , crowned with sepals. It is considered a berry, since the pulp is not fleshy but does not lignify. The hard shell encloses chambers with individual angular seeds. Pomegranates are either eaten fresh or turned into cider. Many cultures use pomegranates for decorative purposes. Originating from the Orient, this fruit became known across Italy and throughout Europe by featuring on rich fabrics and carpets.