The country of Grenada owes both its name and its emblem to this ancient fruit.

The pomegranateâs current botanical name is Punicum granatum with Punicum acknowledging its Carthaginian heritage and granatum referring to its numerous seeds.

The French named their hand-tossing explosive a grenade after the seed-scattering properties of the pomegranate fruit. The French military division who wielded this lethal fruit were likewise called grenadiers.

The word pomegranate comes from the Middle French term pome garnete and literally means "seeded apple."