The pomegranate fruit may seem fairly intimidating to those of us accustomed to bananas and apples, but they have long been used in cooking and they pack a serious nutritional punch. The pomegranate plant originated in the arid climates of the Middle East — in fact they were one of the eastern Mediterranean’s first domesticated fruit trees — but have since spread across the world and grow very well in parts of California and Arizona. I found this tree in UC Riverside’s Botanic Garden.

Still ripening!