As people traveled from Persia to other parts of the world, the pomegranate was the perfect fruit to take along because it would keep for months without rotting. In 138 BC pomegranates were taken on the Silk Road to China. It is said that the first pomegranate tree in England was planted by King Henry VIII upon his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. The pomegranate was used in their wedding ceremony and gained new popularity in Europe after that event.
Spanish missionaries brought pomegranates with them from Mexico into areas of California and Texas when establishing missions. In 1771, Thomas Jefferson liked the pomegranate well enough to plant one at his home at Monticello.
