There are indeed pomegranate trees
growing throughout the tropical Hawaiian Islands. Pomegranates are rather small
trees growing 15 – 20 feet tall. What they
lack in height they make up in longevity; some are reported to be 200 years
old.
The trees seem to tolerate a wide
range of conditions. They do well in hot and dry conditions with high alkaline
soils, as well as growing in deep, acidic loam soils. Pomegranate trees also tolerate wet, heavy
(clay) soils but produce better in soils that are well-drained. Trees do not come true
from seed, and therefore, good quality fruit trees are propagated from cuttings. Air layering is possible; grafting is seldom
successful.
Pomegranates have been around for
eons. Over the centuries, their
depiction has appeared in artwork, literature, coinage, jewelry and coat of
arms. Believed to have originated around Persia and the Himalayas in Northern
India, the pomegranate has been used as a symbol for many civilizations and
sometimes viewed as a symbol of fertility in Asia.
The Spanish missionaries brought
pomegranates to California, Mexico and Texas.
And recently, from 2006 to 2009, pomegranate acreage in California doubled from 15,000 to about 30,000 acres.
Pomegranate juice is rich in three
types of antioxidants which are recognized in neutralizing free radicals and
other unstable molecules in the body.
Besides eating the fruit or making a delicious beverage, the fruits can
also be dried and used in wreaths and other decorations. Pomegranate juice is being added to such
products as jelly, ice cream bars, truffles and chewing gum. Ink can be made by
steeping the leaves in vinegar. In Japan, an insecticide is derived from the
bark.
