Varieties of Granada: [Characteristics and Classification]

Pomegranate Characteristics

The pomegranate (Punica granatum) is native to Iran and its Persian name is Anar. Its cultivation was extended to various countries in Asia and the Mediterranean area.

In Mexico it has been grown specifically in Puebla and in the United States in California and Arizona. It belongs to the punicaceae family.

And it is characterized by being a globose fruit of approximately 6 to 12 cm in diameter, with a calyx similar to a crown.

Best known pomegranate varieties

Pomegranate varieties are classified as: Sweet, Bittersweet or Sour and the evaluable indices: Acidity and maturity index (SS/A). The maturity index indicates the time of harvest.

Types of pomegranate cultivation

1. Common pomegranate with sweet fruits.
2. Sour pomegranate, whose flowers are used in ornamentation.
3. Seedless fruit pomegranate. This variety is produced in Persia.

Pomegranate varieties that stand out commercially

mollar of elche

Very vigorous tree, fast growing, large fruit, thick grain, dark red and very small and soft pip (seed), ripe between October and November.

Its grains are usually darker than usual and thicker than the rest, something that can be noticed from the first moment in the test.

It is characterized by its balance between acidity and sugars, for having an external coloration from cream yellow to red and for the anthocyanin composition of the arils that gives it an intense pink to red color.

It is the most cultivated variety in Spain (96% of the Spanish production). Currently, it has been granted the Protected Designation of Origin.

Valencian Mollar

Vigorous tree, large fruit, rounded and flattened shape, thick pomegranate and very small pomegranate. Ripens in October. The Valenciana is the pinkest pomegranate.

From the community of Valencia, Spain, unlike the Wonderful and Mollar varieties. It stands out for its early harvest, which begins at the end of summer, especially in the month of August.

wonderful variety

It is the most acidic version of the pomegranate! One of the most cultivated pomegranate varieties in the world, especially in California, Israel and Chile. It is a pomegranate tree that produces large fruits, with a very red external color.

Its seeds are small and relatively acidic. Its grain is small, somewhat harder than the rest, and its main characteristic is its flavor, which is more acidic than the others, something that makes it different and special.

The tree is vigorous, productive and its fruits ripen between October and November.

Other varieties of pomegranate

Grenade

Early maturing variety widely grown in California, United States. It corresponds to a mutation of the ‘Wonderful’ pomegranate and was discovered in 1966. Although it is smaller in size than the ‘Wonderful’ variety, it reaches the best prices on the market because it matures 1 month earlier than the latter.

Tendral

Whose tree is of medium vigor and productive. It has medium-sized fruits (185 g), with a red external color on a yellow background. The grains are small, with a tender and thin pine nut, and very sweet.

It presents a crude fiber content in the seed of 8.37%. It has a thin, thin skin that does not lend itself to long-distance transport, which also contributes to a shorter post-harvest life.

Dholka

It is a variety cultivated in India for commercial purposes. It is a large fruit, with reddish-yellow skin with dark pink and purple sectors at the base. It has a thin, fleshy skin, it is sweet and its seeds are white.

Bhagwada

It is is a selection of ‘Alandi’ developed by Dr. Cheema in Pune, Maharashtra state, India.

PaperShell

Also called ‘Spanish Sweet’, it has thick yellow fruits flecked with purple. Small, red, scented grains, very sweet. Rustic and fertile tree.

Hershkovitz

Mid-season variety and therefore available from mid-September to the end of October. It is red, both internally and externally. It has a sweet acid taste.

pink-full

New variety with large fruits and sparkling acid flavor and soft seed. Pinkish exterior color that turns bright red with maturity, the interior is intense red.

big-full

It is an interesting variety for its productive potential and harvest date. It presents an extraordinary exterior and interior coloration. Its taste qualities make it an indispensable variety.

Large fruits with consistent skin, it presents a luminous red exterior color in 100% of the fruit, even in fruits not exposed to the sun. Inside, it has an intense red color.

Ahmar, Aswad, Halwa

They are the most cultivated varieties in Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

Red Loufrani, Malassi, Rass Baghl

In addition to the Wonderful variety they are produced in Israel. Spain is the country with the most important pomegranate production in the European Union.

Bibliography and references

• Lopez Galvez, Maria Yolanda; Moreno Vega, Alberto. (2015). The pomegranate: varieties, cultivation techniques and uses. Auditorium Editions. Madrid Spain.
• Teubner, Christian; Levin, Hans-Georg; Gysin, Hans-Rudolf. (1998). The Great Book of Exotic Fruits. A complete encyclopedia of tropical and subtropical fruits. Editorial Everest. Madrid Spain.
• Geilfus, Frans. (1994). The tree at the service of the farmer. Species guide. Enda-Caribbean/CATIE. Turrialba-Costa Rica.
• Tupa Barrantes, Dalorzo Henry. (2014). Rooting of cuttings of 4 varieties of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) with 2 auxin sources in different concentrations, Majes 2013. National University of San Agustín de Arequipa. Arequipa, Peru. Reproduced from: http://repositorio.unsa.edu.pe/bitstream/handle/UNSA/4157/AGtubadh045.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
• Martinez, JJ; Melgarejo, P.; Hernandez, Fca.; League, P.; Martinez-Font, R. (2005). Growth habits of four autochthonous varieties of pomegranate from southeastern Spain. Miguel Hernandez University. Orihuela-Spain. Reproduced from: http://www.sech.info/ACTAS/Acta%20n%C2%BA%2054.%20VI%20Congreso%20Ib%C3%A9rico%20de%20Ciencias%20Hort%C3%ADcolas.%20XII%20Congreso %20National%20de%20Ciencias%20Hort%C3%ADcolas/Communications/H%C3%A1bitos%20de%20growth%20de%20cuatro%20varieties%20de%20granado%20aut%C3%B3ctonas%20del%20southeast%20espanol%C3%B1ol.pdf