Pomegranate | Description, Cultivation, & Facts | Britannica

Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos pomegranate

• Introduction
• Physical description
• Cultivation

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics Images Quizzes What’s on the Menu? Vocabulary Quiz Fruit or Vegetable? A Quiz Plants: From Cute to Carnivorous Food Around the World Contents Entertainment & Pop Culture Food

pomegranate plant Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Print print Print Please select which sections you would like to print:

• Table Of Contents

Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/plant/pomegranate Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

• University of California - Fruit &and Nut Research and Information Center - Pomegranate
• Frontiers - Frontiers in Plant Science - Primary Metabolites, Anthocyanins, and Hydrolyzable Tannins in the Pomegranate Fruit
• Royal Botanic Gardens Kew - Pomegranate
• University of California - Agriculture and Natural Resources - Pomegranates (PDF)
• University of Georgia Extension - CAES Field Report - Pomegranate Production
• Purdue University - Pomegranate
• Cleveland Clinic - The Health Benefits of Pomegranates
• Scientific Reports - Environmental and geographical conditions influence color, physical properties, and physiochemical composition of pomegranate fruits
• Colorado State University - Food Source Information - Pomegranate
• Mount Sinai - Pomegranate
• WebMD - Health Benefits of Pomegranates
• National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - A Comprehensive Review of Punica granatum (Pomegranate) Properties in Toxicological, Pharmacological, Cellular and Molecular Biology Researches
• Healthline - Pomegranate: 10 Health and Nutritional Benefits
• PlantVillage - Pomegranate
• North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox - Punica granatum
• Utah State University - Yard and Garden Extension - Pomegranate, Fruit of the Desert

Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

• pomegranate - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: Punica granatum Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Dec. 4, 2025 •History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot

pomegranate, (Punica granatum), bush or small tree of the family Lythraceae and its fruit. The juicy arils of the fruit are eaten fresh, and the juice is the source of grenadine syrup, used in flavourings and liqueurs. Pomegranate is high in dietary fibre, folic acid, vitamin C, and vitamin K.

Physical description

The plant, which may attain 5 or 7 metres (16 or 23 feet) in height, has elliptic to lance-shaped, bright-green leaves about 7.5 cm (3 inches) long. The handsome axillary orange-red flowers are borne toward the ends of the branchlets. The calyx (comprising the sepals) is tubular and persistent and has five to seven lobes; the petals are lance-shaped, inserted between the calyx lobes. The ovary is embedded in the calyx tube and contains several compartments in two series, one above the other.

1 of 2

2 of 2

The fruit is the size of a large orange, obscurely six-sided, with a smooth leathery skin that ranges from brownish yellow to red; within, it is divided into several chambers containing many thin transparent arils of reddish, juicy pulp, each surrounding an angular elongated seed.

Britannica Quiz Fruit or Vegetable? A Quiz

Cultivation

While the pomegranate is considered indigenous to Iran and neighbouring countries, its cultivation long ago encircled the Mediterranean and extended through the Arabian Peninsula, Afghanistan, and India. It is commonly cultivated in the Americas from the warmer parts of the United States to Chile.

Related Topics: grenadine syrup fruit (Show more) On the Web: University of Georgia Extension - CAES Field Report - Pomegranate Production (Dec. 04, 2025) (Show more) See all related content

Though the pomegranate grows in a wide range of climates, good fruit is produced only where high temperatures and dry atmosphere accompany the ripening period. Deep, rather heavy loams appear to be the best soils. Seeds can readily be grown, but choice varieties are reproduced by cutting and layerings. Commercial propagation is performed by taking hardwood cuttings 250–300 mm (10–12 inches) long and rooting them in the open ground.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.