• Common name: Pomegranate
• Scientific name: Punica granatum, L.
• Honorary Doctorate: Pedro Ruiz Torres (October 29, 2004)
• Honorary Doctorate: Araceli Maciá Antón (October 29, 2004)
• Honorary Doctorate: Miguel Ríos Campaña (January 26, 2018)

ORIGIN: It originates from the Iranian region to the Himalayas.

CHARACTERISTICS:

• A small, deciduous tree or shrub, very branched and usually thorny.
• Its fruit is edible and sweet.

INTERESTING FACTS:

• The Quran says that its fruit purges hatred and envy.
• There is a variety called Mollar de Elche with large fruits, dark red arils, and very small, soft seeds.

USES:

• ORNAMENTAL: A tree of great beauty due to the changing colors of its leaves with each season and its colorful fruit. Furthermore, because of its thorny structure, it is also used as a hedge. There are also some very beautiful bonsai trees.
• INDUSTRIAL: Its juice is used as a natural dye in the manufacture of non-synthetic products.
• FOOD: The pomegranate fruit is eaten raw, as juice, in sorbet, grenadine syrup, and as an ingredient in cooked dishes or salads.
• MEDICINAL: It is one of the so-called “superfruits” because it contains chemical compounds such as potassium, calcium, magnesium and vitamin C and has a great antioxidant power, benefiting our cardiovascular health and the prevention of certain types of cancer.