Interesting Facts About the Powerful Pomegranate

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Wait a Second. You Don't Think There are Interesting Facts About the Pomegranate?

Well, a pomegranate may appear bland on the outside, but it's most definitely interesting!

Here you'll discover interesting facts about the pomegranate, its history, how it grows and all kinds of random facts about pomegranate power that you probably never heard of!

So, stick around and enjoy the lens!

This lens is part of a pomegranate series. Check out more interesting facts about pomegranates by visiting Pomegranate Nutrition and Pomegranate Symbolism as well.

Note: This lens has been nominated for the Best Potential Giant Lens in the 2009 Giant Squid Awards! Please vote for it here! Thanks!

Pomegranate Power: What is a Pomegranate, Anyway? 

There are Two Definitions!

pomegranate tree



The Tree:

First, "pomegranate" refers to the spiny, deciduous shrub or tree that is cultivated for its fruit (the fruit is probably what you usually think of as a pomegranate).

The tree has bright green, glossy, leathery, short-stemmed, oblong leaves that are anywhere from 3 to 7 centimeters long and about 2 centimeters broad. The leaves are opposite, or sub-opposite, or in whorls of 5 or 6.

The flowers of the tree are called Balaustines and are bright red or orange with 3-7 petals. The flowers are approximately 3 centimeters in diameter. They grow on the tips of the branches singly or in clusters of up to 5. They have a thick, tubular, red calyx with 5-8 pointed sepals from which the petals emerge. The petals enclose numerous stamen.



pomegranate



The Fruit:

Secondly, the word "pomegranate" refers to the fruit, which is actually a berry.

The word "pomegranate" is from the Latin "pomum granatum" which means "apple of many seeds." That gives a pretty good description!

Except for the crown-like structure at the top (or is it the bottom??) of the pomegranate, called the calyx, the pomegranate looks similar to an apple on the outside - it's about the same size, or slightly larger, it's relatively round (actually somewhat hexagonal) and its thick leathery skin is reddish (sometimes there's also yellow, pink, orange or green). The outer peel, or skin, of a pomegranate is called the rind.

Inside there are many seeds encased in a juicy sac, called arils. These arils are set in membranous compartments (called membrane) and surrounded by white, fleshy pith, called albedo.



pomegranate

Pomegranate Power: History of the Pomegranate 

Geography

Pomegranates are one of the oldest fruits.

The pomegranate is native to Persia (now Iran).

It was cultivated in Egypt around the time of Moses and existed very early in India.

The pomegranate was brought to China around 100 BCE.

The Romans called the pomegranate a Punic apple because it arrived in Italy by way of Carthage (Punic). Its Latin name is Punica granatum (Carthage seeds).

The Moors brought pomegranates to Spain around 800 CE and the city of Granada was named for the pomegranate.

Spanish settlers brought the pomegranate to the U.S. in 1769 according to some sources.

It's now widely grown in the U.S., Malaysia, Southern Europe, Egypt, China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, India, Burma, Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Top Ten Yummiest Pomegranate Pics 

Vote for Your Favorite!

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Berry Good

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Mmmm. Breathe it in . . . and imagine the flavor!

Enjoy the Aroma of Pomegranates!


Wouldn't you just love to breathe in the refreshing scent of pomegranate anytime you wanted to?

You can!

Visit my candle website!

Pomegranate Power: Pomegranates in Nature 

Gentle music and captivating photography highlight the beauty of the pomegranate and illustrate its growth process.
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Pomegranate Power: How Does a Pomegranate Grow? 

View this photographic depiction of the growth process of a pomegranate from closed bud to flowering, from first expansion of the round fruit to full growth.

pomegranate and a bug by titanium22

plants-pomegranate-6.JPG by merinette

Pomegranate growing by hashashin

pomegranate flower by lars hammar

Pomegranate - Punica Granatum by Golf Bravo1

pome1, different view by Cessna 206

8 February 2009 |#39| Pomegranate and bug by Fractal Myth

Melagrana by pizzodisevo (doing TENS for pain )

| granada | by arquera

Pomegranate by Donnaphoto

Pomegranates in Barbara's back yard by jonny.hunter

pomegranate by a.-k.arnold

curated content from Flickr

Interesting Facts About Pomegranates: How Many Seeds Does a Pomegranate Have? 

Is the myth within Judaism true? Does a pomegranate have 613 seeds? Find out!
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Pomegranate Anatomy 

  • Albedo - the white, fleshy pith

  • Aril - the edible seed inside the juice sac

  • Calyx - the crown-like structure at the top of the pomegranate

  • Membrane - the transparent sac surrounding the arils

  • Outer peel

Pomegranate Varieties 

U.S. Varieties

  • Balegal

  • Cloud

  • Crab

  • Early Wonderful

  • Fleshman

  • Francis

  • Granada

  • Green Globe

  • Home

  • King

  • Phoenicia

  • Sweet

  • Utah Sweet

  • Wonderful

    Perfect Pomegranate Products 

    Pomegranates: 70 Celebratory Recipes

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    Incredible Pomegranate: Plant and Fruit

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    Pomegranate: The Ultimate Health Food

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    More Perfect Pomegranate Products 

    Lenox Tabella Coffee Mug-Pomegranate

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    Pomegranate Molasses (14 ounce) by igourmet.com

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    Monin Rich Red Pomegranate Syrup, 1 liter

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    More Pomegranate Varieties 

    Varieties From Around the World

    • Ahmar

    • Aswad

    • Alandi

    • Bedana

    • Dholka

    • Granada Agria

    • Granada de China

    • Halwa

    • Kabul

    • Kandhari

    • Malissi

    • Mangulati

    • Muscat Red

    • Muscat White

    • Paper Shell

    • Poona

    • Ras el Baghi

    • Red Loufani

    • Spanish Ruby

    • Vellodu

    • Wonderful

    Mouth Watering Goodness . . .

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    Interesting Facts About Pomegranate Power 

    Did you know?

    • In Malaysia, a pomegranate is called "buah delima," meaning "ruby fruit" (this fact is thanks to Suriani, a fellow Squidoo-er).

    • The French used the word grenade (from the word for pomegranate) for an explosive device, the explosion of which resembles the scattering of pomegranate seeds!

    • The pomegranate grows as a deciduous shrub.

    • The shrub can grow to be 20-30 feet tall.

    • There are some pomegranate shrubs/trees that are over 200 years old.

    • The British Medical Association, the Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Royal College of Physicians each use the pomegranate in their coat of arms.

    • Once a pomegranate is picked, it won't ripen anymore.

    • Ripe pomegranates on the tree can crack and split open after rain.

    • Pomegranates are used in Middle Eastern cooking.

    • A popular pomegranate dish is "Fesenjan" which is a stew made with duck or chicken, pomegranates and walnuts.

    • King Tut and other Egyptians were buried with pomegranates, which gave hope of rebirth.

    • The pomegranate is one of the oldest known fruits.

    • The juice of a pomegranate will stain anything!

    • Pomegranates are used in the coats of arms of Colombia and Granada.

    • California is one of the largest producers of pomegranates.

    • California pomegranate production was begun by a Jewish couple who then created the Pom Wonderful company.

    • It is thought that pomegranates contain more antioxidants than green tea or red wine.

    • The pomegranate is categorized as a superfruit because of its nutritional properties.

    • A common misspelling is "pomegranite."

    • Pomegranate trees are cultivated as ornamentals as well as for their fruit.

    • The pomegranate is self-pollinated and also cross-pollinated by insects.

    • The fruit only grows at the tips of new growth branches.

    • The fruit of the pomegranate is actually a berry.

    • There is a dwarf variety of the pomegranate that is often used as a Bonsai tree or a patio plant.

    • The seeds make up over 50% of the weight of a pomegranate.

    • The pomegranate is one of the national symbols of Armenia

    • There's a band called "Pomegranate."

    • In Jewish tradition, it's said that each pomegranate has 613 seeds, representing the 613 commandments of Torah.


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    Learn More Interesting Facts About Pomegranates 

    Doctor's Lounge - Antioxidants
    Learn more about antioxidants.
    Doctor's Lounge - Free Radicals
    Learn more about free radicals.
    Wikipedia - Antioxidants
    Continue to make sense of antioxidants.
    POM Wonderful - Health Benefits
    Discover more about the health benefits of pomegranates, including the benefits from antioxidants.

    More Pomegranate Sites 

    Pomegranate Seeds
    How many seeds does a pomegranate have? Do they all have the same amount? Do smaller pomegranates have less seeds than larger pomegranates? Find out here.
    Tempting Your Tastebuds
    Visit this site for plenty of tantalizing pomegranate recipes.
    Pomegranate Juice Review
    Check this blog post for a review of pomegranate juice and a bit of info about pomegranates.

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    Photo Credits 

    Intro: EJTyler_album on Photobucket
    Pomegranate Tree: ZeePack on Flickr
    Pomegranate Fruit (external): chany14 on Flickr
    Pomegranate Fruit (internal): piX1966 on Flickr
    Pomegranate History: Roketto on Photobucket
    Yummy Pomegranate: piX1966 on Flickr
    Mouth-watering Pomegranate: JOE M500 on Flickr

     

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    by LeanneChesser

    Hi! I'm Leanne Chesser. I'm a vegetarian and I care about nutrition. I also love pomegranates . . . so I wanted to create some pages about them. This... (more)

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