In our article we want to talk about such an exotic fruit as pomegranate. Since childhood, we all know about its beneficial properties. But many do not even know how it grows and which varieties of pomegranates are the best. Let's discuss this in more detail.
Fruit Name History
Pomegranate is a wonderful plant. An interesting story is its name. This plant was known in the days of the Ancient World. Then it was believed that the best trees grow in Carthage. The Romans called the fruits of malum punicum, which means "Punic apple." But the thing is that the Phoenicians in the tenth century BC moved from their native land to Africa, having founded new settlements there, including the famous Carthage. And for the Romans, the Phoenicians themselves are Punians, hence the name comes from - the Punic apple.
But the pomegranate also had a second name - malum granatum, which means "granular apple." It was it that later became very widespread. But the botanical name Punica was given to the plant in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus.
Pomegranate tree
There are different types of pomegranates in the world. The birthplace of the plant is Persia (the territory of modern Iran). Grenades grow in the wild and in the Caucasus, Central Asia, India, Asia Minor and Afghanistan. In these countries, under favorable conditions, trees can reach five meters in height, but there can be a plant and a bush. At the end of the eighteenth century, thanks to the Spanish conquistadors, culture began to be grown on the American mainland.
Pomegranates bloom very plentifully from May to August. Large red-orange flowers of the plant look like a bell. They are so beautiful that many grow a tree just for flowering. The fruits have a spherical shape and are covered with red-brown or yellow-red skin. Pomegranate can weigh up to 600 grams. Inside it there are many seeds surrounded by juicy pulp. It is it that is edible and accounts for only 50 percent of the mass of the entire fetus. Each pomegranate contains from 200 to 1400 seeds located between the white partitions. The fruits ripen from September to February in the northern hemisphere, and in the southern - from March to May. From one tree you can collect up to 60 kilograms of fruit.
The plant itself looks very decorative. In a warm climate, ripe fruits crack, hanging directly on branches. The peel bursts, but the grains are inside and do not crumble. This is just an amazing sight. In temperate climates, leaves sometimes fall before they begin to harvest. Fruits located on bare branches give exotic to the plant.
Types of Pomegranates
Currently, only two types of culture are known . Common pomegranate grows in the wild in Asia and southern Europe. The second species grows on the island of Socotra, which is located in the Arabian Sea. Hence its name - Socotran garnet. But its taste is much lower than that of ordinary pomegranate, and therefore the plant is not cultivated. In addition, a dwarf form of the plant has recently appeared, which is grown as a decorative culture on window sills.
Different varieties of pomegranates, and there are more than 500 (cultivars), have different taste qualities, differ in the shape and size of the fruit, the color of the pulp, the color of the juice, the softness or hardness of the seeds. The number of different varieties is increasing due to the constant work of breeders, whose main task is to create a plant that will be resistant to all diseases. There is a Kara-Kala reserve in Turkmenistan. On its territory contains the largest collection of pomegranates in the world. It has more than 800 forms, types, varieties of pomegranate.
Varieties of pomegranates
We have already mentioned that there are many varieties of pomegranates. All of them are grown for specific purposes. Some for fresh consumption, others for processing and obtaining juices. From pomegranates of one variety, a wonderful and healthy drink is obtained, rich in vitamins and minerals. There are also varieties grown for technical processing. In our article we want to give the best varieties of pomegranates and their characteristics. Cultivated species can be conditionally divided into the following groups to show only a small part of the available varieties:
- Sweet Iranian varieties - Sharoli, Halva, Asvad, Ahmar.
- Very Sweet Indian - Dholka.
- Sweet and sour varieties - Ulfa, Kyzym, Kok, Wellis.
- Sweet - Lodzhuar, Kadan, Vedana, Nar Shirin.
- American grade seedless (soft bones) - Vanderful.
- Israeli varieties - Ras el Bahl, Malissi, Red Lowfani, Mangulati.
- Indian - Alandi, Bedana.
- Crimean and Transcaucasian varieties ripening in October - Veles, Kaim nar, Krmyzy kabuh, Shah-par, Bala-mursal, Galyusha pink, Galyusha red.
- Sweet and sour Central Asian varieties - Kzyl-anar, Achik-Don, Cossack-anar.
- The tart sour variety is Achikanor.
- The earliest sweet varieties ripening in September are Ulfi, Lod-Juard, Ak-Don.
- Japanese dwarf variety bred for potting (has numerous small fruits) - Punica granatum var.
- Decorative varieties - Multiplex, Variegata, Chico.
Gulusha
It is difficult to single out the best varieties of pomegranate, since each person has his own taste, and different types are grown for completely different purposes. So, for example, sour fruits are cultivated for making sauces, and sweet ones for fresh consumption.
The best Azerbaijani pomegranate varieties (photos are given in the article) are Gulusha pink and red. The pink variety has fruits weighing 220-250 grams, but sometimes there are much more round-shaped fruits. The yield of juice from them reaches 54%. Grains of this grade are medium in size and have excellent taste.
Gulusha red has the shape of a bush (up to three meters in height). The fruits of the plant are quite large - 300-400 grams. They are covered with a thin pink crust. The fruit contains large grains, from which bright red juice with a sweet and sour taste is obtained. The fruit ripens in October and can be stored for two to three months. The variety is also grown in Georgia and Turkmenistan.
Ak Dona Crimean
Currently, there are such varieties of pomegranate (photos are given by us in the article) that are cultivated in completely unusual regions. So, for example, Ak Dona Crimean is grown in the steppe Crimea. The fruits are oval and large in size. The variety is easily recognized by the finest creamy peel with reddish spots on one side. The fruit has a thick and short neck. Grains of pink-red color have a characteristic sweet taste with barely noticeable acidity. This variety is grown even by amateur gardeners, since it is not too capricious. But in order to truly enjoy a ripe tasty fruit, you need to choose the fruit that is saturated with the southern sun and fully ripe.
Achik-Anor
Achik-anor is a very small tree that, when fruiting, produces fruits of uneven sizes. They have a round shape, but quietly taper at the base. This variety is interesting in that it has a completely unusual skin color: dark green with a carmine cover. The peel is very thick. Even in ripe fruits, it is inside a carmine shade. Pomegranate grains are very large dark cherry in color with a bright sour-sweet taste.
Cossack Superior
Pomegranate tree has a fairly average size and round fruits. Fruits have a greenish-cream skin with specks and stripes around the circumference. Quite often, a carmine integument appears. The peel of the fetus is not at all thick, on the inside it has a creamy yellow hue. Large pink-red grains have a characteristic sweet, pleasant taste with sourness.
Ahmar
It is believed that the most wonderful and delicious pomegranates are grown in Iran. One of the best sweet varieties is Ahmar. The plant grows up to four meters in height and blooms with bright colors of red-orange color. The tree blooms from June to the very end of August. The fruits are covered with a thick green-pink peel and are medium in size. The fruit of this variety is characterized by light pink grains. The lighter the kernels, the sweeter they taste. According to experts, the sugar content in Akhmar pomegranate is so high that the variety occupies a leading position in this indicator.
Nar-sharin
Nar-sharin in taste and description is similar to Ahmar. But this variety is characterized by a light skin color, even in ripe fruits. On the outside, the skin is beige with pink spots, and inside is almost white. Pomegranate grains are quite small, but very sweet. Their color gradually changes from light pink to very dark. An interesting fact is that Iranian pomegranates grow in the wild, and they began to be cultivated not so long ago and only in the central region. The local population uses fruits harvested in wild plantations for food.
Dholka
The sweetest pomegranate variety in the world is Dholka. The plant grows in India in the wild. The fruits of the culture are very light, but with a slight pink tint. Oddly enough, but the fruit has a modest size and weighs only 180-220 grams. Pomegranate grains in different fruits may vary in color. Their colors range from white to pale pink. In nature, the bush grows in height no more than two meters.
In India, pomegranate is widely used in folk medicine, because the standard of living of the population is low. From the roots of the plant prepare a tool that relieves pain from bruises and fractures. And decoctions are used to treat dysentery.
Frost resistant varieties
Many amateur gardeners are attracted by the stunning flowering of pomegranate trees, and therefore there is a desire to grow an exotic culture on the site. But are there frost-resistant varieties of pomegranate that can withstand winter in the middle lane? This question is asked by a large number of gardeners. Yes, there really are such varieties.
Average frost resistance requires indispensable shelter of plants for the winter, otherwise the pomegranate may simply not withstand low temperatures. But with proper care, nothing is impossible. The varieties Gyulusha pink and red described above by us, Ak Dona Crimean, are precisely frost-resistant species, and therefore their cultivation can be safely tested in the summer cottage.
White Pomegranate
Very often, people have a question about the existence of white pomegranate. Is it a myth or a reality? In fact, pomegranate varieties with white grains are and are successfully cultivated in southern countries and even in the south of Italy and Spain. An example of such a miracle plant is Thuja tish, the name is translated only as “camel tooth”. Large grains are characteristic of the fruits of this variety, but still they are not quite white, as many imagine. At first glance, it might seem that the pomegranate just did not ripen. But in fact, the kernels are very sweet and incredibly tasty. Similar fruits can be purchased in Spain and Egypt. The so-called white pomegranate is endowed with exactly the same beneficial properties as ordinary red varieties.
Indoor grenades
Fans of home exotic plants must have heard that there are varieties of indoor pomegranate. Such small plants can be successfully grown at home, enjoy the beauty of flowering and even get small fruits with proper care. It is worth noting that such varieties of pomegranate (described below) belong to dwarf forms, and therefore they can be considered domestic plants. One of the varieties that the hostesses grow is Punica Granatum Nana. Culture blooms and bears fruit throughout the year. When the plant reaches forty centimeter growth, you can already count on the first crop. As a rule, from seven to ten fruits are tied in a bush, in the future there will be more of them. They are quite edible and in diameter reach five centimeters.
Baby
Baby is probably the smallest pomegranate that can be grown in the house. The plant has the shape of a bush. In height, it does not grow more than fifty centimeters. This variety is decorative and amazingly beautiful blooms. The bush at rest (in the fall) partially loses its foliage.
The plant requires constant care, annual thinning and cutting. If he does not like something, then it immediately reacts (leaves fall), and therefore it is necessary to create the most comfortable conditions for the grenade. The plant blooms profusely and beautifully, giving single or group inflorescences. Each flower pleases two or three days, after which it fades. Fruits are formed quite rarely. For one hundred flowers, for example, three to four fruits can be tied.
Dwarf Carthage
Dwarf Carthage is intended for home growing only. The plant is a small tree that needs to be cut regularly, preventing it from growing more than seventy centimeters. If the pomegranate is not cut, the branches will become thinner and the crown will lose its decorative appearance. In such a situation, the plant not only looks ugly, but also begins to bloom less often. The tree blooms amazingly beautifully.
Instead of an afterword
In our article, we tried to tell all the most interesting about such a wonderful plant as pomegranate. Of course, in our stores you can hardly find the fruits of all the varieties described by us, but still we hope that the information we offer will be useful. And, perhaps, you decide to purchase a seedling of a home exotic plant that will delight you with beautiful flowers.