Parfianka Pomegranate Tree

Recorded history first documents the Pomegranate in use in the area known as the lower Tigris and Euphrates Valley around 2200 B.C., although archaeological records date them back much further. Pomegranates most likely came by way of the mountains of Iran and Iraq.

The Pomegranates wide range of adaptability, great taste and high food value gave it a place of great appreciation in the ancient diet and this spread throughout the Middle East. The Spanish brought Pomegranate with them into Mexico, where it found its way North into territory that would become the United States in the 1500's via the Spanish Missions.

Modern improvements in Pomegranate have been ongoing. For many years, Dr. Gregory Levin was the leading researcher over the great Pomegranate collection at the Garrygala Agricultural Station in Turkmenistan.

In the late 1990's, the turmoil along the Iran/Turkmenistan border reached a peak. During this time, Dr Levin was forced to leave the Research Station and brought many of the most important selections to Israel where they would be then sent to the USDA Germplasm Repository at the Wolfskill Experimental Orchards in Winters, California.

Several of Dr. Liven's varieties have been selected as outstanding, and Parfiankia has proven to be a superior selection. Considered by many the most balanced in acid/sugar, sweetness, and overall flavor of all Pomegranates varieties, the Parfiankia has dominated fruit tastings for many years.

After years of exile from his work in pomegranate discovery and introduction, Dr. Levin's efforts have been carried on by the likes of Joe Wehrheim and Jeff Moersfelder of UC Davis. Jeff manages the Pomegranate program at Wolfskill and conducts regular fruit tastings and tours. He also distributes the important varieties of the collection, of which Parfiankia remains in the highest demand. This story is not over, due to the number of great selections that remain to be introduced.