Pomegranate goodness

Having grown up with a couple of pomegranate plants in the home garden I've always found them interesting, not to mention their unique fruit. Pomegranates originally came from the Middle Eastern areas of Iran and Iraq and have been cultivated for thousands of years. They get a mention in both the Book of Exodus and the Quran. The ancient Egyptians used the fruit as a treatment for tapeworm and other infections.

One of the things that appeals to me about the plant is that it will grow in most Australian climates, successfully growing in hot dry conditions. The plant is deciduous giving it another string to its use as an ornamental fruit bearing plant for the backyard.

This dwarf pomegranate (right) is being used as an ornamental plant in a property on Glenferrie rd with more planted along the pathway to the front door.

Something you may know is that pomegranate fruit is used to create grenadine, a syrup used in many cocktails. Pomegranate juice is a relatively sour drink that has been consumed in India and Persia for many years and is now beginning to make in roads into western cuisine.

These days the plant is grown around the world usually for fruit production but also as a purely ornamental plant. Some cultivars do not bear any fruit and are purely grown for their attractive flowers. The petals are usually a bright red with a crepe paper like appearance. Some more recently bred cultivars have different coloured flowers and you can even get varieties with black fruit.