Pomona, city (1990 pop. 131,723), Los Angeles co., S Calif. at the foot of the San Gabriel Mts.; inc. 1888. It is a residential, industrial, and commercial suburb of Los Angeles where citrus fruits and vegetables are canned and shipped. Manufactures include foods; paper, metal, and plastic products; and chemicals. There are aluminum and iron foundaries. The city is the seat of California State Polytechnic Univ., Pomona, and is the site of the Los Angeles County Fair. It is one of the fastest-growing U.S. cities.

Pomona, Scotland: see Mainland.

Ancient Roman goddess of fruit. Vertumnus, god of the seasons, fell in love with her, but she rejected him and all other suitors, preferring to cultivate her orchards. Refusing to give up, Vertumnus came to her in the form of an old woman and pleaded his case so effectively that Pomona changed her mind and agreed to be his.

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In Roman mythology, Pomona was the goddess of fruit trees, gardens, and orchards. Her name comes from the Latin word, pomun, which translates to "fruit." She scorned the love of Silvanus and Picus but married Vertumnus after he tricked her, disguised as an old woman. Her high priest was called the flamen Pomonalis. The pruning knife was her attribute. She is a uniquely Roman goddess, never identitified with any Greek counterpart, and was particularly associated with the blossoming of trees versus the harvest.

In 19th century statues and building decorations she is usually shown carrying either a large platter of fruit or a cornucopia. A nude statue of Pomona is in the fountain in the little park before the Plaza Hotel in New York City. For a listing of cities named after her, see Pomona (disambiguation).

She is said to be a wood nymph. In popular culture, Pomona is the forename of Professor Sprout, the teacher of Herbology in the Harry Potter Series. In the series, Herbology is the study of magical plants. Pomona also appears in the Chronicles of Narnia as the wood-goddess who blessed the orchard which was planted outside Cair Paravel.