DAY 209 (31 OCTOBER) – Pomegranate (Punica granatum) (Jerez, Spain)
Visiting the Royal Andalusian School for Ecuestrian Art in Jerez today, I found this fascinating plant in the grounds. It turned out to be a pomegranate. What intrigued me was the way the hard fruits emerge out of the bright orange-red flowers. They simply metamorphose. Apparently the plants can live for up to 200 years.
There are references to pomegranates as long ago as the 3rd millennium BC. In ancient Egypt they were a symbol of property and ambition. And modern Greeks bring pomegranates as gifts into new homes. They are said to encourage fertility. They do have that look about them…
