Trees · Rosaceae
Almond
Prunus dulcis
Spanish AlmendroCatalan AmetllerIntroduced4–8 mDeciduous
A small tree of dry farmland that covers itself in white or pink blossom in the depths of winter, before the leaves.
- LeafBroad and flat
- LeafYes, a single blade
- ShapeSpear-shaped
- EdgeToothed
- On the twigOne at a time, staggered
- In winterNo, it loses them
- BarkFurrowed
- FruitNut
The leaf
A simple leaf, long and narrow, shaped like a lance tip, with a finely toothed edge. It is 7 to 12 cm long and hangs from a short stalk. It comes out after the blossom, once the tree has already flowered.
The bark
On young trees it is smooth and reddish grey. With age it darkens and breaks into cracks and small plates, almost black on old almond trees.
The fruit
An oval, green, velvety drupe that dries out and splits open in summer. Inside is the hard shell holding the almond. It is harvested in August and September.
The flower
Five-petalled flowers, white or tinged with pink, borne singly or in pairs on the bare branches. It flowers between January and March, one of the first trees of the year.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Habit
A small tree with a short, often twisted trunk and an open, rounded crown. In orchards it is pruned low so the almonds can be knocked down with poles.
Where it grows
It is the classic tree of unirrigated land in Catalonia, on terraces, at the edges of vineyards and in abandoned fields. In the Penedès it is everywhere between the vines and along the banks, and it also grows wild in the scrub.
What it can be mistaken for
In flower it looks like the purple-leaf plum, which blooms at the same time but has dark red leaves, and like the wild cherry, which flowers later, in clusters on long stalks. The almond's long, narrow leaf sets it apart from both.
A story
There are sweet and bitter almonds: the bitter almond contains amygdalin, which releases cyanide when chewed, so it is only used in small amounts. The sweet almond is the basis of turrón, the Spanish Christmas nougat, and of much of the baking all along the Mediterranean coast.
Find out more
- Tree: Anna Anichkova, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Leaf: Balles2601, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bark: Димитър Найденов / Dimìtar Nàydenov, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fruit: Andrey Butko, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Flower: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0