{{Short description|Fruit-bearing deciduous shrub}} {{Other uses}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Speciesbox | image = Pomegranate Juice (2019).jpg | image_caption = Fruit of ''Punica granatum'' split open to reveal clusters of seeds with sarcotesta on the inside, and a glass of juice | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="IUCN RedList">{{cite iucn |author=((Participants of the FFI/IUCN SSC Central Asian regional tree Red Listing workshop, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (11-13 July 2006))) |title=''Punica granatum'' |article-number=e.T63531A173543609 |year=2020 |access-date=16 November 2020 }}</ref> | genus = Punica | species = granatum | authority = L. | synonyms = {{Species list | Granatum punicum | St.-Lag. | Punica florida | Salisb. | Punica grandiflora | hort. ex Steud. | Punica nana | L. | Punica spinosa | Lam.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/tro-26700001 |title=''Punica granatum'' L., The Plant List, Version 1 |date=2010 |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden |access-date=26 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130811181028/http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/tro-26700001 |archive-date=11 August 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> | Rhoea punica | St.-Lag. }} | synonyms_ref = <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000468843#synonyms |title=''Punica granatum'' L. |date=2022 |website=World Flora Online |publisher=The World Flora Online Consortium |access-date=20 July 2022 |archive-date=4 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230904224323/https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000468843#synonyms |url-status=live }}</ref> }}
The '''pomegranate''' ('''''Punica granatum''''') is a fruit-bearing, deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punicoideae, that grows to between {{convert|1.5|–|5|m|ft|0}} tall. Rich in symbolic and mythological associations in many cultures, it originated in the region spanning the Caucasus and the Iranian plateau — including modern-day Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pomegranate was first domesticated by ancient Iranians in the Iranian plateau and nearby regions about 5,000 years ago. It is extensively cultivated for its fruit.
Pomegranate was exported from the Iranian plateau to other parts of Asia including Iraq, Turkey, India, Africa, and Europe.<ref name="POWO">{{cite web |date=29 May 2020 |title=''Punica granatum'' L. |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:554129-1 |access-date=27 December 2025 |website=Plants of the World Online |archive-date=4 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230904224322/https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:554129-1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="FoP">{{cite web |title=''Punica granatum'' in Flora of Pakistan |url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=200014674 |access-date=27 December 2025 |website=eFloras.org Home }}</ref> It was also introduced into Spanish America in the late 16th century and into California by Spanish settlers in 1769.<ref name="Morton-1987">{{cite web |author=Morton, J. F. |year=1987 |title=Pomegranate, ''Punica granatum'' L |url=http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/pomegranate.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120621045126/http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/pomegranate.html |archive-date=21 June 2012 |access-date=14 June 2012 |website=Fruits of Warm Climates |publisher=Purdue New Crops Profile |pages=352–5 }}</ref>
Although the pomegranate is indigenous to Iran and its nearby regions, it is also nowadays cultivated across West Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, north and Sub-Saharan Africa, the drier parts of Southeast Asia, the Mediterranean basin, United States and Chile.<ref name="Morton-1987"/> The fruit is typically in season in the Northern Hemisphere from September to February, and in the Southern Hemisphere from March to May.<ref name="Sinha-2012">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1qwuBXeczzgC&pg=PT1696 |title=Handbook of Fruits and Fruit Processing |date=20 June 2012 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-118-35263-2 |editor1=Nirmal K. Sinha |edition=2 |pages= |oclc=1100459240 |editor2=Jiwan Sidhu |editor3=Jozsef Barta |editor4=James Wu |editor5=M.Pilar Cano |archive-date=28 June 2024 |access-date=12 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240628221222/https://books.google.com/books?id=1qwuBXeczzgC&pg=PT1696 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Joshi-2017">{{cite book |last1=Joshi |first1=V.K. |last2=Panesar |first2=P.S. |last3=Rana |first3=V.S. |last4=Kaur |first4=S. |title=Science and Technology of Fruit Wine Production |chapter=Science and Technology of Fruit Wines |date=2017 |pages=1–72 |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-800850-8.00001-6 |isbn=978-0-12-800850-8 }}</ref>
Pomegranate molasses is a key ingredient in traditional Persian cuisine, where it is used to add a rich sweet-sour flavour to dishes such as stews, sauces, and marinades, most notably in classic recipes like fesenjān, kabab torsh and zeytoon parvardeh. The pomegranate and its juice are variously used in baking, cooking, juice blends, garnishes, nonalcoholic drinks, and cocktails.
==Etymology==
The name ''pomegranate'' derives from medieval Latin {{Lang|la|pōmum}}, apple and {{Lang|la|grānātum}}, seeded.<ref>{{OEtymD|pomegranate }}</ref> Possibly stemming from the old French word for the fruit, {{Lang|fro|pomme-grenade}}, the pomegranate was known in early English as "apple of Granada", a term that today survives only in heraldic blazons.<ref>{{cite web |title=All hail the Pomegranate, official symbol of Granada |website=The Lecrin Valley |date=15 October 2012 |url=http://thelecrinvalley.wordpress.com/tag/pomegranate/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609035836/http://thelecrinvalley.wordpress.com/tag/pomegranate/ |archive-date=9 June 2013 |access-date=7 May 2020 }}</ref>
Garnet derives from Old French {{Lang|fro|grenat}} by metathesis, from Medieval Latin {{Lang|la|granatum}} as used in a different meaning "of a dark red colour". This derivation may have originated from ''pomum granatum'', describing the colour of pomegranate pulp, or from ''granum'', referring to red dye, cochineal.<ref>{{OEtymD|garnet }}</ref>
The modern French term for pomegranate, {{Lang|fr|grenade}}, has given its name to the military grenade.<ref>{{OEtymD|grenade }}</ref>
Pomegranates were colloquially called wineapples or wine-apples in Ireland, although this term has fallen out of use. It still persists at the Moore Street open-air market in central Dublin.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Johnston |first1=Fred |title=Woman as Poet |journal=Books Ireland |date=2004 |issue=264 |pages=15–18 |doi=10.2307/20632662 |jstor=20632662 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Barr |first1=Rebecca |last2=Buckley |first2=Sarah-Anne |last3=Kelly |first3=Laura |title=Engendering Ireland: New Reflections on Modern History and Literature |date=2015 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn=978-1-4438-8307-8 |page=66 }}</ref>
== Description ==
The pomegranate is a shrub or small tree growing {{cvt|1.5|to|5|m|ft|0|abbr=off}} high, with multiple spiny branches.<ref name="FoP"/> It is long-lived, with some specimens in France surviving for 200 years.<ref name="Morton-1987"/> The leaves are opposite or subopposite, glossy, narrow oblong, entire, {{cvt|1.9|–|5|cm|in|1}} long, and {{cvt|0.8|–|1.5|cm|in|1}} broad.<ref name="FoP"/>
The flowers are bright red or white, and {{cvt|3|cm|frac=4}} or more in diameter, with three to seven petals.<ref name="FoP"/><ref name="Morton-1987"/> Some fruitless cultivars are grown for the flowers alone.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://homeorchard.ucanr.edu/The_Big_Picture/Pollination |title=Pollination |website=The California Backyard Orchard |publisher=University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources |access-date=25 May 2022 |language=en-US |archive-date=5 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241205201504/https://homeorchard.ucanr.edu/The_Big_Picture/Pollination/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The flower's anthers close around the stigma until maturity, and the ovaries are divided internally into compartments or locules of many suspended ovules covered by a septum.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wetzstein |first1=Hazel Y. |last2=Zhang |first2=Zibin |last3=Ravid |first3=Nadav |last4=Wetzstein |first4=Michael E. |title=Characterization of Attributes Related to Fruit Size in Pomegranate |journal=HortScience |date=June 2011 |volume=46 |issue=6 |pages=908–912 |doi=10.21273/HORTSCI.46.6.908 |url=https://journals.ashs.org/view/journals/hortsci/46/6/article-p908.xml |doi-access=free |archive-date=16 December 2025 |access-date=27 October 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251216061624/https://journals.ashs.org/view/journals/hortsci/46/6/article-p908.xml |url-status=live }}</ref>
The pomegranate fruit husk is red-purple with an outer, hard pericarp, and an inner, spongy mesocarp (white "albedo"), which comprises the fruit's inner wall where seeds attach.<ref name="Stover-2007">{{cite journal |last1=Stover |first1=E. |last2=Mercure |first2=E. W. |title=The Pomegranate: A New Look at the Fruit of Paradise |journal=HortScience |date=2007 |volume=42 |issue=5 |pages=1088–1092 |doi=10.21273/HORTSCI.42.5.1088 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Membranes of the mesocarp are organised as nonsymmetric chambers that contain seeds which are embedded without attachment to the mesocarp,<ref name="Stover-2007"/> also a result of fertilisation of the divided ovary. Pomegranate seeds are characterised by having sarcotesta, thick fleshy seed coats derived from the integuments or outer layers of the ovule's epidermal cells.<ref name="Holland-2009"/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dahlgren |first1=Rolf |last2=Thorne |first2=Robert F. |title=The Order Myrtales: Circumscription, Variation, and Relationships |journal=Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden |date=1984 |volume=71 |issue=3 |pages=633–699 |doi=10.2307/2399158 |jstor=2399158 |bibcode=1984AnMBG..71..633D |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/3964 }}</ref> The number of seeds in a pomegranate can vary from 200 to about 1,400.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aquaphoenix.com/misc/pomegranate/ |title=Does a larger pomegranate yield more seeds? |publisher=AquaPhoenix |access-date=21 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061104163317/http://www.aquaphoenix.com/misc/pomegranate/ |archive-date=4 November 2006}}{{self-published inline|date=September 2025 }}</ref> Botanically, the fruit is a berry with edible seeds and pulp produced from the ovary of a single flower.<ref name="Holland-2009">{{cite book |last1=Holland |first1=D. |last2=Hatib |first2=K. |last3=Bar-Ya'Akov |first3=I. |title=Horticultural Reviews |chapter=Pomegranate: Botany, Horticulture, Breeding |date=2009 |pages=127–191 |doi=10.1002/9780470593776.ch2 |isbn=978-0-470-38642-2 }}</ref> The fruit is variable in size, from {{convert|2|–|8|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}} in diameter in wild plants (to {{cvt|12|cm|in}} in some cultivars) with a rounded shape and thick, reddish husk.<ref name="FoP"/><ref name="Morton-1987"/> In mature fruit, the juice obtained by compressing the seeds yields a tart flavour due to low pH (4.4) and high contents of polyphenols,<ref name="Fernandes-2015">{{cite journal |pmc=5079168 |year=2015 |last1=Fernandes |first1=L. |title=Physicochemical Changes and Antioxidant Activity of Juice, Skin, Pellicle and Seed of Pomegranate (cv. Mollar de Elche) at Different Stages of Ripening |journal=Food Technology and Biotechnology |volume=53 |issue=4 |pages=397–406 |last2=Pereira |first2=J. A. |last3=López Cortés |first3=I. |last4=Salazar |first4=D. M. |last5=Ramalhosa |first5=E. C. |pmid=27904374 |doi=10.17113/ftb.53.04.15.3884 }}</ref> which may cause a red indelible stain on fabrics.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ucfoodsafety.ucdavis.edu/files/26390.pdf |title=Pomegranates |publisher=Utah State University, Department of Food Safety |author=Jorgensen, Suzanne |author2=Brennand, Charlotte |date=June 2005 |access-date=17 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912114742/http://ucfoodsafety.ucdavis.edu/files/26390.pdf |archive-date=12 September 2014 }}</ref> The pigmentation of pomegranate juice primarily results from the presence of anthocyanins and ellagitannins.<ref name="Fernandes-2015"/><ref name="Gómez Caravaca-2013">{{cite journal |pmid=23656584 |year=2013 |last1=Gómez Caravaca |first1=A. M. |title=Determination of the major phenolic compounds in pomegranate juices by HPLC−DAD−ESI-MS |journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry |volume=61 |issue=22 |pages=5328–37 |last2=Verardo |first2=V. |last3=Toselli |first3=M. |last4=Segura Carretero |first4=A. |last5=Fernández Gutiérrez |first5=A. |last6=Caboni |first6=M. F. |doi=10.1021/jf400684n |bibcode=2013JAFC...61.5328G }}</ref>
<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths=170 heights=170> File:Pomegranate fruit - whole and piece with arils.jpg|Whole pomegranate and piece with arils File:Flower of Pomegranate.jpg|Pomegranate flower File:Pomegranate Fruit Setting.jpg|Fruit setting File:Pom May 2022.jpg|Pomegranate being trained as a bonsai </gallery>
== Cultivation ==
''P. granatum'' is grown for its fruit crop, and as ornamental trees and shrubs in parks and gardens. Mature specimens can develop sculptural twisted bark, multiple trunks, and a distinctive overall form. Pomegranates are drought-tolerant, and can be grown in dry areas with either a Mediterranean winter rainfall climate or in summer rainfall climates. In wetter areas, they can be prone to root decay from fungal diseases. They can tolerate moderate frost, down to about {{convert|-12|°C|°F|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Ali Sarkhosh |author2=Jeff Williamson |date=October 2018 |orig-date=April 1994 |title=The Pomegranate |publisher=UF/IFAS Extension |url=http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/MG/MG05600.pdf |access-date=7 May 2020 |archive-date=19 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121219173501/http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/MG/MG05600.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
Insect pests of the pomegranate can include the butterflies ''Virachola isocrates'', ''Iraota timoleon'', and ''Deudorix epijarbas'', and the leaf-footed bug ''Leptoglossus zonatus''. Fruit flies and ants are attracted to unharvested ripe fruit.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ingels |first1=Chuck A. |last2=Geisel |first2=Pamela M. |last3=Maxwell |first3=Norton V. |title=The Home Orchard: Growing Your Own Deciduous Fruit and Nut Trees |date=2007 |publisher=UCANR Publications |isbn=978-1-879906-72-3 |page=26 }}</ref>
=== Propagation ===
''P. granatum'' reproduces sexually in nature, but can be propagated asexually. Propagation methods include layering, hardwood cuttings, softwood cuttings, and tissue culture. Required conditions for rooting cuttings include warm temperatures within the 18–29 °C (65–85 °F) range and a semihumid environment. Rooting hormone increases rooting success rate, but is not required.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pomegranate Enterprise |publisher=Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences |url=https://crec.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/pomegranates/pomegranate-enterprise/ |access-date=5 December 2024 |archive-date=8 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241208034432/https://crec.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/pomegranates/pomegranate-enterprise/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
=== Varieties ===
''P. granatum'' var. ''nana'' is a dwarf variety of ''P. granatum'' popularly planted as an ornamental plant in gardens and larger containers, and used as a bonsai specimen tree. It could well be a wild form with a distinct origin. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Punica granatum'' var. ''nana'' |url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/67011/Punica-granatum-var-nana/Details |date=2024 |publisher=Royal Horticultural Society |access-date=23 February 2021 |archive-date=13 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513031514/https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/67011/Punica-granatum-var-nana/Details |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf |title=AGM Plants - Ornamental |date=March 2020 |page=90 |publisher=Royal Horticultural Society |access-date=7 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503221317/https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf |archive-date=3 May 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref>
The only other species in the genus ''Punica'' is the Socotran pomegranate (''P. protopunica''), which is endemic to the Socotran archipelago of four islands in the Arabian Sea. The territory is part of Yemen. It differs in having pink (not red) flowers and smaller, less sweet fruit.<ref>{{cite web |title=Punica granatum - the Drops of Blood from Garden of Eden |work=Top Tropicals |url=http://toptropicals.com/html/toptropicals/plant_wk/pomegranate.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123032753/http://toptropicals.com/html/toptropicals/plant_wk/pomegranate.htm |archive-date=23 January 2013 }}</ref>
=== Cultivars ===
thumb|upright|Black pomegranate
''P. granatum'' has more than 500 named cultivars, but has considerable synonymy in which the same genotype is named differently across regions of the world.<ref name="Stover-2007"/> Several characteristics between pomegranate genotypes vary for identification, consumer preference, preferred use, and marketing, the most important of which are fruit size, exocarp colour (ranging from yellow to purple, with pink and red most common), seed coat colour (ranging from white to red), the hardness of seed, maturity, juice content and its acidity, sweetness, and astringency.<ref name="Stover-2007"/>
== Production and export ==
The leading producers globally are India and China, followed by Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, the US, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, and Spain.<ref name="UNECE-2022">{{cite web |url=https://unece.org/sustainable-development/press/new-unece-standard-will-boost-international-trade-pomegranate |title=New UNECE standard will boost international trade in pomegranate |publisher=United Nations Economic Commission for Europe |date=1 March 2022 |access-date=5 July 2025 |archive-date=2 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602110902/https://unece.org/sustainable-development/press/new-unece-standard-will-boost-international-trade-pomegranate |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2019, Chile, Peru, Egypt, Israel, India, and Turkey supplied pomegranates to the European market.<ref name="FreshPlaza-2019">{{cite web |title=Overview: Global pomegranate market |url=https://www.freshplaza.com/article/9143157/overview-global-pomegranate-market/ |publisher=FreshPlaza |access-date=15 March 2021 |date=13 September 2019 |archive-date=11 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511042455/https://www.freshplaza.com/article/9143157/overview-global-pomegranate-market/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Chile was the main supplier to the United States market, which has a limited supply from Southern California.<ref name="FreshPlaza-2019"/> China was self-sufficient for its pomegranate supply in 2019, while other South Asia markets were supplied mainly by India.<ref name="FreshPlaza-2019"/> Pomegranate production and exports in South Africa competed with South American shipments in 2012–2018, with export destinations including Europe, West Asia, the United Kingdom, and Russia.<ref name="Louw-2021">{{cite web |title=Pomegranate production in South Africa |author=Marinda Louw |url=https://southafrica.co.za/pomegranate-production-south-africa.html |publisher=South Africa Online |access-date=15 March 2021 |date=2021 |archive-date=8 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508050749/https://southafrica.co.za/pomegranate-production-south-africa.html |url-status=live }}</ref> South Africa imports pomegranates mainly from Israel.<ref name="Louw-2021"/>
== History ==
The pomegranate is native to Iran and it was first domesticated by ancient Iranians in the Iranian plateau and nearby regions about 5,000 years ago.<ref name="Chandra-2010">{{Cite journal |last=Chandra |first=Ram |date=2010 |title=Origin, history and domestication of pomegranate |url=http://www.globalsciencebooks.info/Online/GSBOnline/images/2010/FVCSB_4(SI2)/FVCSB_4(SI2)1-6o.pdf |journal=Fruit, Vegetable and Cereal Science and Biotechnology |volume=2 |pages=1–6 }}</ref><ref name="Zeynalova-2017">{{Cite journal |last=Zeynalova |first=A. M |date=2017 |title=Origin, taxonomy and systematics of pomegranate |journal=Proceedings of the Institute of Botany |volume=37 |pages=20–25 }}</ref><ref name="Shi-2024">{{cite book |last=Shi |first=Jiangli |chapter=Botany and Taxonomy of Pomegranate |date=9 December 2024 |title=The Pomegranate Genome |pages=1–9 |doi=10.1201/9781003475774-1 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-003-47577-4 }}</ref><ref name="Abdollahi-2021">{{Cite journal |last=Abdollahi |first=Hamid |date=2021 |title=An illustrated review on manifestation of pome fruit germplasm in the historic miniatures of ancient Persia |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10722-021-01244-y |journal=Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 68.7 |pages=2775–2791 |archive-date=25 August 2025 |access-date=6 January 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250825010434/https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10722-021-01244-y |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Mohammadi-2023">{{Cite journal |last=Mohammadi |first=Mehran |date=2023 |title=Pomegranate: A review of the heavenly healer's past, present, and future |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10598818/ |journal=Iranian journal of basic medical sciences |volume=26 |issue=11 |page=1245 }}</ref><ref name="Liu-2025">{{Cite journal |last=Liu |first=Chen |last2=Wang |first2=Nan |last3=Zhang |first3=Ying-Yuan |last4=Qu |first4=Hai-tao |last5=Liu |first5=Ling-Xiao |last6=Zhang |first6=Li-Hua |last7=Liu |first7=Yun-Guo |date=6 May 2025 |title=Pomegranate: historical origins, nutritional composition, health functions and processing development research |doi=10.1080/10408398.2025.2500676 |journal=Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition |volume=65 |issue=33 |pages=8447–8469 }}</ref> Archaeological and historical evidence shows that the pomegranate, especially its blossom (''golnār''), was a sacred and symbolic element in ancient Persian culture from prehistoric times through the Achaemenid period in about 500 BC, associated with fertility, abundance, royal authority, and the deities Mithra and Anahita.<ref name="Rafiei Dehaghani-2025">{{Cite journal |last=Rafiei Dehaghani |first=Vahid |date=2025 |title=The Ritual Role of Golnār – The Pomegranate Flower in Iranian Art and Culture |url=https://doi.org/10.22034/jaco.2025.502537.1447 |journal=Journal of Art and Civilization of the Orient |volume=13 |issue=48 |pages=50–57 |via= }}</ref> There is a petroglyph at Persepolis showing a pomegranate flower in the hand of an Achaemenian king, highlighting its ritual and symbolic significance in imperial iconography.<ref name="Rafiei Dehaghani-2025" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sedigh-Rahimabadi |first=Massih |last2=Fani |first2=Mohammadmehdi |last3=Rostami-chijan |first3=Mahsa |last4=Zarshenas |first4=Mohammad M. |last5=Shams |first5=Mesbah |date=8 July 2016 |title=A Traditional Mouthwash (''Punica granatum'' var ''pleniflora'') for Controlling Gingivitis of Diabetic Patients |journal=Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine |volume=22 |issue=1 |pages=59–67 |doi=10.1177/2156587216633370 |doi-access=free |pmc=5871205 }}</ref>
In Pakistan, it grows wild between 1,000 and 2,000 metres altitude, mainly in the western part of the country.<ref name="POWO" /><ref name="FoP" /> Pomegranates have been cultivated throughout the Middle East, India, and the Mediterranean region for several millennia, and it is also cultivated in the Central Valley of California and in Arizona.<ref name="Morton-1987" /><ref>{{cite book |author=Doijode, S. D. |title=Seed storage of horticultural crops |publisher=Food Products Press |location=New York |year=2001 |page=77 |isbn=978-1-56022-883-7 }}</ref><ref name="Ripley-1875">{{Cite book |title=The American cyclopaedia: a popular dictionary of general knowledge, Volume 13 |author1=George Ripley |author2=Charles Anderson Dana |year=1875 |publisher=Appleton |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P_UXAQAAIAAJ |quote=... frequent reference is made to it in the Mosaic writings, and sculptured representations of the fruit are found on the ancient monuments of Egypt and in the Assyrian ruins. It is found in a truly wild state only in northern India ... |archive-date=28 June 2024 |access-date=11 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240628022749/https://books.google.com/books?id=P_UXAQAAIAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> Pomegranates may have been domesticated as early as the fifth millennium BC, as they were one of the first fruit trees to be domesticated in the eastern Mediterranean region.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Domestication of plants in the old world: The origin and spread of domesticated plants in south-west Asia |last1=Zohary |first1=Daniel |last2=Hopf |first2=Maria |last3=Weiss |first3=Ehud |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-19-954906-1 |edition=4th |location=Oxford |pages=114–115 }}</ref>
Remains of the fruit dating to the Neolithic period have been found at Gezer in Israel,<ref name="Shafer-Elliott-2022"/> and carbonised pomegranate exocarp has been recovered from early Bronze Age levels at Tell es-Sultan (Jericho) in the West Bank.<ref name="Still-2006" /><ref name="Shafer-Elliott-2022"/> Additional remains from this period have been found at Arad and Gezer in Israel. Evidence from the Late Bronze Age includes pomegranate remains at Hala Sultan Tekke in Cyprus and the site of Tiryns in Greece.<ref name="Still-2006">{{cite book |title=Pomegranates: ancient roots to modern medicine |last=Still |first=D. W. |editor1-last=Seeram |editor1-first=Navindra P. |editor2-last=Schulman |editor2-first=Risa N. |editor3-last=Heber |editor3-first=David |year=2006 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-0-8493-9812-4 |pages=199–2010 |chapter=Pomegranate: A botanical perspective |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2yGXy6jVFbYC&pg=PA168 }}</ref><ref name="Shafer-Elliott-2022" /> A large, dry pomegranate was found in the tomb of Djehuty, the butler of Queen Hatshepsut in Egypt; Mesopotamian records written in cuneiform mention pomegranates from the mid-third millennium BC onwards.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Hopf, Maria |author2=Zohary, Daniel |title=Domestication of plants in the old world: the origin and spread of cultivated plants in West Asia, Europe, and the Nile Valley |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford [Oxfordshire] |year=2000 |page=171 |edition=3rd |isbn=978-0-19-850356-9 }}</ref>
Waterlogged pomegranate remains have been identified at the circa 14th century BC Uluburun shipwreck off the coast of Turkey.<ref name="Ward-2003">{{Cite journal |last=Ward Haldane |first=Cheryl |date=February 2003 |title=Pomegranates in eastern Mediterranean contexts during the Late Bronze Age |journal=World Archaeology |volume=34 |issue=3 |pages=529–541 |jstor=3560202 |doi=10.1080/0043824021000026495 }}</ref> Other goods on the ship include perfume, ivory and gold jewelry, suggesting that pomegranates at this time may have been considered a luxury good.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ward Haldane |first=Cheryl |date=March 1990 |title=Shipwrecked plant remains |journal=The Biblical Archaeologist |volume=53 |issue=1 |pages=55–60 |jstor=3210160 |doi=10.2307/3210160 }}</ref> Other archaeological finds of pomegranate remains from the Late Bronze Age have been found primarily in elite residences, supporting this inference.<ref name="Ward-2003"/> During the Iron Age, the fruit was a frequent decorative motif in Israelite material culture, appearing on ancient artifacts.<ref name="Shafer-Elliott-2022" />
It is extensively grown in southern China and Southeast Asia, whether originally spread along the Silk Road route or brought by sea traders. Kandahar is famous in Afghanistan for its high-quality pomegranates.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://afghanag.ucdavis.edu/a_horticulture/fruits-trees/pomegranate |publisher=University of California at Davis, International Programs |title=Pomegranate — Afghan Agriculture |website=afghanag.ucdavis.edu |date=2013 |access-date=17 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161205174822/http://afghanag.ucdavis.edu/a_horticulture/fruits-trees/pomegranate |archive-date=5 December 2016 }}</ref>
The pomegranate was introduced as an exotic to England in the 17th century by John Tradescant the Elder, but the disappointment that it did not set fruit there led to its repeated introduction to the American colonies, even New England. It succeeded in the South: Bartram received a barrel of pomegranates and oranges from a correspondent in Charleston, South Carolina, 1764. John Bartram partook of "delitious" pomegranates with Noble Jones at Wormsloe Plantation, near Savannah, Georgia, in September 1765. Thomas Jefferson planted pomegranates at Monticello in 1771; he had them from George Wythe of Williamsburg.<ref>{{cite book |last=Leighton |first=Ann |title=American gardens in the eighteenth century: "for use or for delight" |publisher=University of Massachusetts Press |location=Amherst |year=1986 |isbn=978-0-87023-531-3 |page=272 }}</ref>
<gallery class="center" mode="nolines" heights="180" widths="180"> File:Pomegranate LACMA M.81.61.5.jpg|''Pomegranate'', late Southern Song dynasty or early Yuan dynasty circa 1200–1340 File:1-albero, Taccuino Sanitatis, Casanatense 4182..jpg|A pomegranate tree in an illustration for the ''Tacuinum Sanitatis'', made in Lombardy, late 14th century File:Illustration Punica granatum2.jpg|Illustration by Otto Wilhelm Thomé, 1885 File:Ancient pomegranates and dates.jpg|Ancient pomegranates with dates, Egyptian tomb offering, 2000-1500 BCE. At the Louvre. </gallery>
==Use== ===Culinary===
Pomegranate juice can be sweet or sour, but most fruit are moderate in taste, with sour notes from the acidic ellagitannins contained in the juice.<ref name="Gómez Caravaca-2013"/> Pomegranate juice has long been a common drink in West Asia and Europe, and is distributed worldwide.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.mprnews.org/story/2007/04/20/pomegranate |title=The pomegranate hits the peak of popularity |first=Nikki |last=Tundel |publisher=Minnesota Public Radio |date=20 April 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129014751/http://www.mprnews.org/story/2007/04/20/pomegranate |archive-date=29 November 2014 }}</ref> Grenadine syrup, commonly used in cocktails, originally consisted of thickened and sweetened pomegranate juice.<ref>{{cite book |first=Joseph |last=Favre |author-link=Joseph Favre |year=1905 |title=Dictionnaire Universel de Cuisine Pratique: Encyclopédie Illustrée D'Hygiène Alimentaire |location=Paris |publisher=L'auteur |language=fr |page=1088 }}</ref>
Before tomatoes (a New World fruit) arrived in West Asia, pomegranate juice, pomegranate molasses, and vinegar were widely used in Iranian cuisine; this mixture is found in traditional recipes such as ''fesenjān'', a thick sauce made from pomegranate juice and ground walnuts, usually spooned over duck or other poultry and rice, and in ''ash-e anar'' (pomegranate soup).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Burke |first1=Andrew |title=Iran |publisher=Lonely Planet |date=15 July 2008 |page=82 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gEca_4iSNCUC |access-date=29 November 2010 |isbn=978-1-74104-293-1 |quote=The anar (pomegranate) is native to the region around Iran and is eaten fresh and incorporated in a range of Persian dishes most famously in ''fesenjun'', but also in ''ash-e-anar'' (pomegranate soup) and in rich red ''ab anar'' (pomegranate juice). |archive-date=2 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241202093943/https://books.google.com/books?id=gEca_4iSNCUC |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.internetserver.com/isc/cookbook/asheanar2.html |title=Ash-e Anar |website=Internetserver.com |access-date=14 June 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211102205/http://www.internetserver.com/isc/cookbook/asheanar2.html |archive-date=11 February 2012 }}</ref>
In Turkey, pomegranate sauce ({{langx|tr|nar ekşisi}}) is used as a salad dressing, to marinate meat, or simply to drink. Pomegranate seeds are used in salads and sometimes as garnish for desserts such as ''güllaç''.<ref>{{cite news |first=Müge |last=Akgün |title=Güllaç, a dainty and light dessert |url=http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=83942 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080523122925/http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=83942 |archive-date=23 May 2008 |work=Turkish Daily News |publisher=DYH |location=Istanbul |date=22 September 2006 |access-date=26 December 2007 }}</ref> Pomegranate syrup, also called pomegranate molasses, is used in ''muhammara'', a roasted red pepper, walnut, and garlic spread popular in Syria and Turkey.<ref>{{cite book |last=Malouf |first=Greg and Lucy |title=Saha |year=2006 |publisher=Hardie Grant Books |location=Australia |isbn=978-0-7946-0490-5 |page=46 }}</ref>
In Mexico, pomegranate seeds are used to adorn the traditional dish ''chiles en nogada'', representing the red of the Mexican flag in the dish which evokes the green (poblano pepper), white (''nogada'' sauce) and red (pomegranate seeds).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bcgusto.wordpress.com/2024/03/18/chiles-en-nogada-a-symbol-of-the-mexican-flag/ |title=Chiles en nogada: A symbol of the Mexican flag |date=18 March 2024 |publisher=Gusto Journal |access-date=12 October 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251012014819/https://bcgusto.wordpress.com/2024/03/18/chiles-en-nogada-a-symbol-of-the-mexican-flag/ |archive-date=12 October 2025 }}</ref>
<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths=180 heights=180> File:حبوب رمان.jpg|Pomegranate seeds are edible raw. File:Pomegranate Stall in Xi An.JPG|A stall selling pomegranate juice in Xi'an, China File:Asheanar.jpg|A bowl of ''ash-e anar'', an Iranian soup made with pomegranate juice File:Pomegranate lambchops.jpg|Turkish lamb chops with candied figs and herbed mashed potatoes, garnished with pomegranate </gallery>
===Other uses=== Pomegranate peels may be used to stain wool and silk in the carpet industry.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Textiles Dyeing with Pomegranate (Punica granatum) Peel Extract Using Natural Mordant |author1=Rong Yanga |author2=Jianqin Li |author3=Gong Chenge |author4=Angkhana Intab |author5=Lixin Yang |journal=Journal of Natural Fibers |date=27 November 2023 |volume=20 |issue=2 |article-number=2282056 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |doi=10.1080/15440478.2023.2282056 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
== Nutrition ==
{{nutritional value | name=Pomegranates, raw | water=78 g | kJ=346 | protein=1.67 g | fat=1.17 g | carbs=18.7 g | fibre=4 g | sugars=13.67 g | calcium_mg=10 | iron_mg=0.3 | magnesium_mg=12 | phosphorus_mg=36 | potassium_mg=236 | sodium_mg=3 | zinc_mg=0.35 | manganese_mg=0.119 | vitC_mg=10.2 | thiamin_mg=0.067 | riboflavin_mg=0.053 | niacin_mg=0.293 | pantothenic_mg=0.377 | vitB6_mg=0.075 | folate_ug=38 | choline_mg=7.6 | vitE_mg=0.6 | vitK_ug=16.4 | source_usda = 1 | note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/169134/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry] }} The edible portion of raw pomegranate is 78% water, 19% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and 1% fat (table). A {{cvt|100|g}} serving of pomegranate sarcotesta provides 11% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin C, 14% DV for vitamin K, and 10% DV for folate (table), while the seeds are a rich source of dietary fibre (20% DV).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/2038/2 |title=Nutrition data for raw pomegranate per 100 grams |publisher=NutritionData.com, Conde Nast; USDA FoodData Central |date=1 April 2019 |access-date=20 April 2013 |archive-date=30 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130330235253/http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/2038/2}}, NutritionData.com</ref>
== Research == === Phytochemicals ===
The most abundant phytochemicals in pomegranate juice are polyphenols, including the hydrolyzable tannins called ellagitannins formed when ellagic acid and gallic acid bind with a carbohydrate to form pomegranate ellagitannins, also known as punicalagins.<ref name="Gómez Caravaca-2013"/> The red colour of the juice is attributed to anthocyanins,<ref name="Gómez Caravaca-2013"/> such as delphinidin, cyanidin, and glycosides of pelargonidin.<ref name="Hernández-1999"/> Generally, an increase in juice pigmentation occurs during fruit ripening.<ref name="Hernández-1999">{{cite journal |title=Evolution of juice anthocyanins during ripening of new selected pomegranate (''Punica granatum'') clones |vauthors=Hernández F, Melgarejo P, Tomás-Barberán FA, Artés F |journal=European Food Research and Technology |year=1999 |volume=210 |issue=1 |pages=39–42 |doi=10.1007/s002170050529 |bibcode=1999EFRT..210...39H }}</ref> The phenolic content of pomegranate juice is degraded by processing and pasteurisation techniques.<ref name="Alper-2005">{{cite journal |last1=Alper |first1=N |last2=Bahceci |first2=KS |last3=Acar |first3=J |title=Influence of processing and pasteurization on color values and total phenolic compounds of pomegranate juice |journal=Journal of Food Processing and Preservation |volume=29 |issue=5–6 |year=2005 |doi=10.1111/j.1745-4549.2005.00033.x |pages=357–368 }}</ref> Pomegranate peel contains high amount of polyphenols, condensed tannins, catechins, and prodelphinidins.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1007/BF01231077 |volume=203 |title=Quantitative determination of the polyphenolic content of pomegranate peel |year=1996 |journal=Zeitschrift für Lebensmittel-Untersuchung und Forschung |pages=374–378 |last1=Nasr |first1=C. Ben |issue=4 |pmid=9123975 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Plumb GW, De Pascual-Teresa S, Santos-Buelga C, Rivas-Gonzalo JC, Williamson G |journal=Redox Rep. |volume=7 |issue=41 |year=2002 |pmid=11981454 |doi=10.1179/135100002125000172 |title=Antioxidant properties of gallocatechin and prodelphinidins from pomegranate peel |pages=41–6 |hdl=10261/97986 }}</ref> The higher phenolic content of the peel yields extracts for use in dietary supplements and food preservatives.<ref>{{Cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.02.033 |title=Evaluation of antioxidant properties of pomegranate peel extract in comparison with pomegranate pulp extract |journal=Food Chemistry |volume=96 |issue=2 |pages=254–260 |year=2006 |last1=Li |first1=Y. |last2=Guo |first2=C. |last3=Yang |first3=J. |last4=Wei |first4=J. |last5=Xu |first5=J. |last6=Cheng |first6=S. }}</ref> Pomegranate seed oil contains punicic acid (65%), palmitic acid (5%), stearic acid (2%), oleic acid (6%), and linoleic acid (7%).<ref>{{cite journal |title=Antioxidant and eicosanoid enzyme inhibition properties of pomegranate seed oil and fermented juice flavonoids |first1=Shay Yehoshua |last1=Schubert |first2=Ephraim Philip |last2=Lansky |first3=Ishak |last3=Neeman |journal=Journal of Ethnopharmacology |volume=66 |issue=1 |date=July 1999 |pages=11–17 |doi=10.1016/S0378-8741(98)00222-0 |pmid=10432202 |bibcode=1999JEthn..66...11S }}</ref>
=== Health claims ===
Despite limited research data, manufacturers and marketers of pomegranate juice have liberally used results from preliminary research to promote products.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/superfoods/Pages/is-pomegranate-a-superfood.aspx |title=Pomegranate: superfood or fad? |publisher=UK National Health Service (NHS) |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328033945/http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/superfoods/Pages/is-pomegranate-a-superfood.aspx |archive-date=28 March 2016 |date=26 April 2018 }}</ref> In February 2010, the FDA issued a warning letter to one such manufacturer, POM Wonderful, for using published literature to make illegal claims of unproven antidisease effects.<ref name="USFDA">{{cite web |url=https://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm202785.htm |title=Pom Wonderful Warning Letter |publisher=U.S. Food and Drug Administration |access-date=24 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110424142723/https://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm202785.htm |archive-date=24 April 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/ucm202784.htm |title=Understanding Front-of-Package Violations: Why Warning Letters Are Sent to Industry |website=Food and Drug Administration |access-date=24 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110319133653/https://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/ucm202784.htm |archive-date=19 March 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Starling |first=S. |title=FDA says Pom Wonderful antioxidant claims not so wonderful |publisher=NutraIngredients.com |url=http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Regulation/FDA-says-Pom-Wonderful-antioxidant-claims-not-so-wonderful/?c=7InNqGv0Ajf%2BGsoljaV0RA%3D%3D |date=3 March 2010 |access-date=6 March 2010 |archive-date=27 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240627211927/http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Regulation/FDA-says-Pom-Wonderful-antioxidant-claims-not-so-wonderful/?c=7InNqGv0Ajf%2BGsoljaV0RA%3D%3D |url-status=live }}</ref> In May 2016, the US Federal Trade Commission declared that POM Wonderful could not make health claims in its advertising; the US Supreme Court upheld the FTC decision.<ref name="USFTC-2016">{{cite web |title=Statement of FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez Regarding Supreme Court's Decision Not to Review POM Wonderful Case |url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2016/05/statement-ftc-chairwoman-edith-ramirez-regarding-supreme-courts |publisher=Bureau of Consumer Protection, US Federal Trade Commission |access-date=18 July 2017 |date=2 May 2016 |quote=I am pleased that the POM Wonderful case has been brought to a successful conclusion. The outcome of this case makes clear that companies like POM making serious health claims about food and nutritional supplement products must have rigorous scientific evidence to back them up. Consumers deserve no less. |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170518144104/https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2016/05/statement-ftc-chairwoman-edith-ramirez-regarding-supreme-courts |archive-date=18 May 2017 }}</ref><ref name="Sorvino-2016">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/chloesorvino/2016/05/02/the-verdict-pom-wonderful-misled-its-customers-a-blow-to-its-billionaire-owners/#53b8da454b94 |title=The Verdict: POM Wonderful Misled Its Customers, A Blow To Its Billionaire Owners |last=Sorvino |first=Chloe |magazine=Forbes |date=2 May 2016 |access-date=18 July 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170518112114/https://www.forbes.com/sites/chloesorvino/2016/05/02/the-verdict-pom-wonderful-misled-its-customers-a-blow-to-its-billionaire-owners/#53b8da454b94 |archive-date=18 May 2017 }}</ref>
== Symbolism ==
{{main|Pomegranates in culture}}
[[File:Personification of Aegyptus holding pomegranate.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|Roman statue of Aegyptus, personification of Egypt, holding a pomegranate]]
In ancient Assyria, pomegranates were commonly depicted,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Collins |first=Paul |date=January 2006 |title=An Assyrian-Style Ivory Plaque from Hasanlu, Iran |journal=Metropolitan Museum Journal |volume=41 |pages=19–31 |doi=10.1086/met.41.20320658 }}</ref> indicating abundance and fruitfulness with the agricultural cycle.<ref>{{cite web |title=Openwork plaque with papyrus and pomegranates |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/324929 |access-date=27 April 2025 }}</ref> In ancient Iran, the pomegranate tree was believed to be grown from places where the blood of the hero Siyâvash was spilled. The Zoroastrians of Iran serve it in their festivals of Mehregan and Nowruz, and in wedding ceremonies. They used to plant a pomegranate tree in their fire temples to use its leaves in their ceremonies.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.packtoiran.com/blogs/detail/84/Pomegranate---The-Persian-fruit-of-heaven |title=Pomegranate -The Persian fruit of heaven |publisher=packtoiran.com |access-date=20 October 2024 }}</ref> Ancient Egyptians regarded the pomegranate as a symbol of prosperity and ambition.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/botany/pomegranate.htm |title=Pomegranate |publisher=reshafim.org.il |access-date=21 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160225112437/http://reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/botany/pomegranate.htm |archive-date=25 February 2016 }}</ref> According to the Ebers Papyrus, Egyptians used the pomegranate to treat tapeworm infections.<ref name="Jayaprakasha-2006">{{cite book |title=Pomegranates: ancient roots to modern medicine |last=Jayaprakasha |first=G. K. |author2=Negi, P.S. |author3=Jena, B.S. |editor1-last=Seeram |editor1-first=Navindra P. |editor2-last=Schulman |editor2-first=Risa N. |editor3-last=Heber |editor3-first=David |year=2006 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-0-8493-9812-4 |page=168 |chapter=Antimicrobial activities of pomegranate |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2yGXy6jVFbYC&pg=PA168 }}</ref>
In ancient Greece, a pomegranate is displayed on coins from Side, a city named for the fruit.<ref name="Turkish Odyssey">Turkish Odyssey [http://www.turkishodyssey.com/places/medit/medit3.htm Perge-Aspendus-Side-Alanya] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061114034707/http://www.turkishodyssey.com/places/medit/medit3.htm |date=14 November 2006 }}</ref><ref name="MA-Shops">{{cite web |title=Greek SIDE (Pamphylia) AE13. EF-. 1st century BC. Athena - Pomegranate. |url=https://www.ma-shops.com/an/item.php?id=2135 |website=MA-Shops |access-date=1 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301032802/https://www.ma-shops.com/an/item.php?id=2135 |archive-date=1 March 2023 }}</ref><ref name="VCoins">{{cite web |title=PAMPHYLIA, SIDE. AR Stater, circa 460-410 BC. Pomegranate / Athena |url=https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/musa_numismatic_art/193/product/pamphylia_side__ar_stater_circa_460410_bc__pomegranate__athena/1562290/Default.aspx |website=VCoins |access-date=1 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301033149/https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/musa_numismatic_art/193/product/pamphylia_side__ar_stater_circa_460410_bc__pomegranate__athena/1562290/Default.aspx |archive-date=1 March 2023 }}</ref> In Ancient Greek mythology, the pomegranate was known as the "fruit of the dead", and believed to have sprung from the blood of Adonis.<ref name="Jayaprakasha-2006" /><ref>{{cite book |title=The Greek Myths |last=Graves |first=Robert |year=1992 |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=978-0-14-017199-0 |page=95 }}</ref> The myth of Persephone, the goddess of the underworld, features her consumption of pomegranate seeds, requiring her to spend a certain number of months in the underworld every year. During the months that she sits on the throne of the underworld beside her husband Hades, her mother Demeter mourns and no longer gives fertility to the earth.<ref>{{cite book |author=Ovid |title=Metamorphoses |volume=V |pages=385–571 }}</ref>
The pomegranate is one of the Seven Species of fruit and grains listed in the Hebrew Bible as special products of the Land of Israel.<ref name="Shafer-Elliott-2022">{{cite book |last=Shafer-Elliott |first=Cynthia |chapter=Fruits, Nuts, Vegetables, and Legumes |date=2022 |title=T&T Clark Handbook of Food in the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel |pages=142–143 |editor-last=Fu |editor-first=Janling |url=https://www.bloomsburyfoodlibrary.com/encyclopedia-chapter?docid=b-9780567679826&tocid=b-9780567679826-chapter8 |access-date=27 July 2025 |location=London |publisher=T&T Clark |isbn=978-0-567-67982-6 |editor2-last=Shafer-Elliott |editor2-first=Cynthia |editor3-last=Meyers |editor3-first=Carol |archive-date=17 August 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250817110431/https://www.bloomsburyfoodlibrary.com/encyclopedia-chapter?docid=b-9780567679826&tocid=b-9780567679826-chapter8 |url-status=live }}</ref> A fourth-century floor mosaic from Hinton St Mary, Dorset depicts the bust of Christ and the chi rho flanked by pomegranates.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Stephenson |first1=Paul |title=Constantine: Roman Emperor, Christian Victor |date=2010 |publisher=Abrams |isbn=978-1-4683-0300-1 |page=1 and fig. 1 }}</ref> In Islam, Chapter 55 of the Quran mentions the pomegranate as a "favour" among many to be offered to those fearful to the "Lord" in "two Gardens".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://quran.com/55:68?font=v1&translations=149%2C22%2C19%2C |title=Al-Rahman verse 68 |website=Quran.com |access-date=23 February 2022 |archive-date=23 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220223054416/https://quran.com/55:68?font=v1&translations=149,22,19, |url-status=live }}</ref>
The pomegranate is a symbol in Armenia, representing fertility, abundance, and marriage.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://armenpress.am/en/article/805811 |title=Genealogy group propagandized pomegranate, symbol of Armenia, wealth and fertility at official opening of the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest |work=Armenpress |date=18 May 2015 |access-date=15 December 2020 }}</ref> Every autumn, the Goychay Pomegranate Festival is held in the city of Goychay in Azerbaijan.<ref>[http://iguide.travel/Goychay/Activities/Pomegranate_Festival iguide.travel] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006002220/http://iguide.travel/Goychay/Activities/Pomegranate_Festival |date=6 October 2011 }} Goychay Activities: Pomegranate Festival</ref> In Palestinian culture, the pomegranate symbolises fertility and is deeply embedded in folklore and traditions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pomegranate |url=https://palmuseum.org/en/support/tree-sponsorship/Pomegranate |website=The Palestinian Museum |access-date=24 March 2025 }}</ref> Introduced to China during the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), the pomegranate was an emblem of fertility, and pictures of the ripe fruit with the seeds bursting forth were hung in homes.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Researches into Chinese Superstitions, Vol V. (Translated) |last1=Doré |first1=Henry |last2=Kennelly |first2=S.J. |year=1914 |publisher=Tusewei Press |place=Shanghai |page=722 }}</ref> In some Hindu traditions, the pomegranate symbolises prosperity and fertility,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Heyn |first=Birgit |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1HUIZRFFMF8C&pg=PA117 |title=Ayurveda: The Indian Art of Natural Medicine and Life Extension |date=April 1990 |publisher=Inner Traditions / Bear & Co |isbn=978-0-89281-333-9 |page=117 }}</ref> and is associated with both Bhumi (the earth goddess) and Ganesha (fond of the many-seeded fruit).<ref name="Suresh-1998">{{Cite book |title=Encyclopaedia of Hindu Gods and Goddesses |first=Suresh |last=Chandra |year=1998 |isbn=978-81-7625-039-9 |publisher=Sarup & Sons |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mfTE6kpz6XEC&pg=PA39 |page=39 |quote=Bhumidevi (the earth goddess) ... Attributes: ... pomegranate ... }}</ref><ref name="Vijaya Kumar-2006">{{Cite book |title=Thousand Names of Ganesha |author=Vijaya Kumar |year=2006 |isbn=978-81-207-3007-6 |publisher=Sterling Publishing |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=koNhqLCSxRgC |quote=... Beejapoori ... the pomegranate in His hand is symbolic of bounteous wealth, material as well as spiritual ... }}</ref><!--
This is just a summary of Pomegranates in culture. Please add any new cited material there, not here. Thanks. -->
== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}
== Further reading ==
* {{cite book |last=Stone |first=Damien |title=Pomegranate: A global history |date=2017 |publisher=Reaktion Books |ref=none}}
== External links ==
{{Wikispecies|Punica granatum}} {{Cookbook|Pomegranate}} {{Wiktionary}} {{Commons|Punica granatum|''Punica granatum''}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20151005065612/https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/392.html Pomegranate - Trusted Health Information (MedlinePlus)] * [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814753/ Pomegranate - NIH article: Accurate Botanical Nomenclature: Pomegranate and the 'Aril' Misconception]
{{Herbs & spices}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q13188}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Pomegranates Category:Aphrodisiac foods Category:Crops originating from Asia Category:Edible fruits Category:Sour fruits Category:Flora of Central Asia Category:Flora of Western Asia Category:Fruits originating in Asia Category:Heraldic charges Category:Indian spices Category:Lythraceae Category:Plants described in 1753 Category:Plants used in bonsai Category:Symbols of Hades Category:Fruit trees Category:Plants in the Bible Category:Plant dyes Category:Objects in Greek mythology Category:Plants with thorns