'Surh' is also called ('Russian 33', 'PI 483123', 'DPUN 75', 'Surh-Anor')
'Surh' is Slovenian for Surkh, which is a large mountainous area of Afghanistan. 'Surh' is said to have originally been from 'Afghanistan', most likely because of it's name.
'Surh' is said to be a relative of 'Kazake', that is most likely because the fruit of these two cultivars appear to be nearly identical. The juice of 'Surh' is more red and is more sour than the juice of 'Kazake' is.
This cultivar was test grown in Russia at the 'Kara-Kala Turkmenistan Experimental Station', that 'Experimental Station' collected a cutting of 'Surh' for their experiments on 'May 11th 1976', that cutting was collected from somewhere in the 'Former, Soviet Union', most likely from a farmers field 'since it was a cultivated cultivar at the time', this fact made Surh's ties to Russia even stronger.
That 'Experimental Station' donated cuttings of 'Surh' which were imported to the USA 'by the USDA' on January 1982. Every cultivar that the 'Experimental Station' helped to import to the USA was labeled as a Russian pomegranate, regardless of their original origin. A few Months after the cuttings of 'Surh' were imported to the USA a 'Turkmenistian' government officially took full control of 'Turkmenistian', this event took place about 8 years after 'Turkmenistian' gained it's independence from Russia.
It's resistant to cold, to at least 5 degrees Fahrenheit '-15 Celsius', might be more cold hardy than that. It's one level less cold hardy than Kazake is, that may be due to a sensitivity to April/May frosts, yet when it comes to actual direct cold during dormancy 'then it might be more cold hardy than 'Kazake' is', when this cultivar is big enough and old enough it can stand late frost better.
The peel of it's fruit is pale yellow and pink.
It's fruit is small to large. The Arils are usually alternately transparent and red speckled. The juice has a very good mild taste, it is a transparent red, that juice is sour yet very sweet, up to 20% sugar! The seeds are small, and the seeds are hard.
Fruit is resistant to cracking. Fruit starts to mature early to mid-October, one of the earliest 'of the earliest' cold hardy pomegranate cultivars. Some people might get ripe fruit as early as August or September. This cultivar is high production, more productive than 'Kazake', and it's consistently productive.
This cultivar flowers from May to June.
'Surh' has a semi-dwarf bush growing habit, it grows up to about 10 feet tall. It's very resistant to drought. It's very fruit rot resistant.
This cultivar has been grown in Georgia since the 70's.
