Form: Tree.

Lifespan: 40-150 years. Commercial trees are cut down after 28 years because their declining crop yield makes it more profitable to replace them.

Leaf retention: Deciduous.

Growth rate: Rapid.

Mature Size: 10-30' high and as wide depending on cultivar and rootstock.

Flowers: White to pink, five petals, fragrant, solitary or paired, appearing before leaves develop.

Bloom: Early spring. Late frosts can destroy blooms and new fruit. This tree tends to be alternate bearing, blooming and fruiting heavily one year, then lightly the next.

Self-fruitful: Depends on cultivar. Most dwarf and semi-dwarf cultivars for home gardens are self-fruitful. Full size commercial cultivars are usually not.

Years before fruiting: 3-4.

Fruit: A thick, leathery, downy, grey-green hull covers a hard inner shell enclosing the almond seed. The seed is commonly called a nut.

Months for fruit to ripen: 8.

Harvest: Almond seeds ripen starting from the top of the tree and working down. Wait until nearly all the hulls have split, revealing their shells. If bird predation becomes a problem, start harvesting a little sooner. Remove the hulls, then spread the almonds out in a single layer to dry.

Storage after harvest: Fully dried almonds can be stored at room temperature for up to eight months, or in a refrigerator for up to one year.

Leaves: Green, serrated margins, lance-shaped.

Stems: Light grey bark.

Roots: Commonly grown on rootstock appropriate to the growing location.

Cultivars of Note: Self-fruitful 'Garden Prince' and 'All in One', and non-self-fruitful 'Ne Plus Ultra' and 'Nonpareil' produce almonds in regions with only 250-300 winter chill hours.

Wildlife: The flowers attract bees and other pollinating insects.

Toxic / Danger: All parts of the tree are toxic except the ripe almond seed.

Origin: Near East.

USDA hardiness zones: 7-9.

Chill hours: 250-600.

Heat tolerant: Extra water and afternoon shade are needed when temperatures are over 90°F, especially when young. Avoid reflected light and heat.

Drought tolerant: Not without loss of fruit crop.

Sun: Full sun for at least 8 hours.

Planting: Locate this tree where it will receive full morning sun and afternoon shade. Being in a low area of the yard where cold air collects, and where the root area and trunk are in shade during winter, may help with winter chill hours. Being in a cold spot, however, may make the tree more prone to late frost damage to flowers. Dwarf cultivars can be grown in large containers.

Soil: The almond tree needs well draining soil. Remove any caliche layer down to a minimum 5' depth. It is tolerant of soil types but does better with moderate organic content. It accepts pH 5.6-8.5 (acidic to alkaline) soil, but does best in pH 6.6-7.8 (neutral to slightly alkaline). This tree is salt intolerant.

Fertilize: Apply organic fertilizer every two months from mid-winter to early fall.

Water after becoming established: Deep water or basin flood weekly from flowering through fruit production. Decrease water to once a month in winter.

Mulch: Apply organic compost mid-winter, keeping it 8" away from the trunk.

Prune: In winter, remove dead, crossing or damaged branches. Flowers bloom on one year old wood. Keep the soil under the drip line weed-free. In hot climates, apply tree paint to any sun-exposed trunk and branches.

Litter: Dried fruit and leaves in the fall.

Propagation: Grafted cuttings.

Uses: Edible seeds.

Ask your neighbors if they have any success growing almonds before purchasing a tree. Find out the name of the cultivar they own.

Macadamia is another nut species that might be considered in almond growing regions.

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