How Do Almonds Grow?

 

Almonds (prunus dulcis)  grow on trees that are a species of the genus Prunus - along with plums, cherries and peaches. Usually referred to as a nut, the almond is not a true nut. In fact, it  is most closely related to a peach tree. It produces a fruit called a stone fruit or drupe, which has an outer hull and hard shell with a seed inside which is the almond “nut.”

 

The almond tree is deciduous (drops its leaves in winter) and grows 13 to 33 feet in height.  It has pale pink or white blossoms in early spring before the leaves appear. The fruit matures in autumn, approximately 7 to 8 months after flowering.

 

Almond trees grow best in climates similar to the Mediterranean region - with warm, dry summers and wet, mild winters. Though the tree buds have a chilling requirement of 300 to 600 hours below 45 degrees to break their dormancy, the optimal growth temperature for growth is 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Young almond trees begin to produce a crop in the third year after planting. Trees reach full maturity at 5 to 7 years and can continue to produce harvestable nuts for up to 50 years. A healthy tree produces 30 to 50 pounds of almonds per year.

 

Seasonal Growth

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Health Benefits

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History

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Propagation

 

Almond trees can be propagated from grafted cuttings, or grown from seed. Propagating an almond tree is done by cutting a branch from a proven producer and grafting it onto hardy rootstock.  This is done in winter when the tree is dormant - usually December to February. It is then stored until spring when it is grafted onto rootstock from another almond tree or other stone fruit trees such as peach.

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Harvest

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Storage

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