This cultivar was patented under the name 'Granada', US patent number of PP 2618, the patent has expired), 'Granada' is easy to find for sale in the USA.
James M. Dutton discovered 'Granada' on September 1st, 1976, as a single mature tree growing in an orchard of 'Wonderful' pomegranate bushes. The orchard then was owned by 'James M. Dutton', it was located on Avenue 208, on the west side of Highway 65, near the city of Lindsay, in the County of Tulare 'in the San Joaquin Valley', in the state of California. The orchard was planted by his grandfather in 1921, or in 1922, and the sport was not recognized as such until discovered in 1976, as a tree in the designated orchard.
This new cultivar of pomegranate was asexually reproduced under James M. Dutton's supervision, by rooting hardwood cuttings from said 'Granada' bush, the fruit and the bushes characteristics resulting from the cuttings proving to be identical to those of the original bush.
'Granada' originated from near Lindsay, CA. It was introduced in about 1982. 'Granada' is a bud mutation of 'Wonderful'.
In the ground this cultivar can reach about 20 feet in height, it is very resistant to drought once it's well rooted in the ground, identical in size and shape to the 'Wonderful' cultivar, better for coastal areas than 'Wonderful'.
Unlike 'Wonderful' it has 'deep red blossoms' with a very slight 'orange tint'.
The skin of its fruit is a darker color than the skin of Wonderful's fruit, and unlike 'Wonderful', Granada's fruit has a 'red crown', even when its unripe fruits are still green.
Its fruit is Medium to Large, the skin of its fruit is in part 'burgundy red', with some pink, with some yellow, and possibly even some purple. It's fruit is slightly smaller than the fruit that 'Wonderful' produces.
Its fruit has a tendency to crack, like the 'Wonderful' cultivar, its fruit cracks after the winter rains begin.
The arils of its fruit have a slight aroma that smells a lot like 'the common scent of a pomegranate', the arils are a dark burgundy red, and ‘plump’ if the 'Granada' gets properly watered, and properly ripe, then the arils are very large and juicy. The arils are darker in color than the arils of 'Wonderful'.
Its juice tastes the same as the ‘Wonderful’ cultivar's juice, although its juice is less tart, and is sweeter than the juice of 'Wonderful', its juice has a very strong taste, even when not completely ripe. The acidity of its juice is 1.85 percent when the fruit is ripe.
The fruit of 'Granada' has hard seeds, although those seeds are not as hard as the seeds in the fruit the 'Wonderful' cultivar.
'Granada' is early ripening (ripening in about mid-August, in 'September' in 'October'), in patent records it says that 'Granada' 'ripens from seven to ten days earlier than fruit of the "Wonderful"', yet some people claim that it crops up to a month before 'Wonderful'. It's supposed to reliably produce a large crop of fruit every year.
Its blossoms bloom Mid April to July 1st. This cultivar is self-fertile (Self-fruitful) although if there is a pomegranate of a different cultivar nearby it can increase fruit set by up to 20%. It's chill hours is '150 hours'.
Very cold hardy, can sometimes regrow from its trunk, after die back to the ground, and still bear fruit. 'Granada' is one of the pomegranate cultivars which you can try growing when your climate is too cold for the average pomegranate cultivar. Hardy down to at least -15 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit). Most likely it's more cold hardy than that.
