Almond

Sun

Full sun, preferably in a warm, sheltered position away from frost pockets.

Water

Water young trees deeply during dry spells. Established trees tolerate some drought, but need reliable moisture during kernel development for a good crop; avoid saturated soil.

Soil

Deep, well-drained loam or sandy loam; tolerates chalky and moderately alkaline soil. Unsuitable for persistently wet or poorly drained ground.

Height

15-30 ft (4.5-9 m)

Spread

15-25 ft (4.5-7.5 m)

Flowers

Late winter to early spring; pale pink to white flowers open before the leaves.

Foliage

Narrow, pointed green leaves with finely toothed edges; sometimes yellow in autumn before falling.

Growth

Moderate; final size depends strongly on rootstock and pruning.

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen
• Edible

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Hard

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   7 ft (2 m)

2. After 1 year

   7 ft (2.2 m)

3. After 2 years

   8 ft (2.5 m)

4. After 3 years

   9 ft (2.7 m)

5. After 5 years

   10 ft (3.2 m)

About 20 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Moderate

• Choose a named sweet-almond cultivar suited to your climate, and check its pollination requirements before buying.
• Plant with the graft union above soil level; stake young trees only where needed for stability.
• Water deeply through dry periods during establishment and while nuts are developing.
• Apply organic mulch over the root area, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Feed lightly in spring if growth is weak; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding that encourages soft shoots.
• Harvest when the outer hulls split, then remove the hulls and dry the nuts thoroughly before storage.

Pruning. Train young trees to an open-centred framework with well-spaced main branches. Prune established trees lightly in dry summer weather, removing dead, damaged and crossing growth; avoid wet-weather and winter pruning where bacterial canker or silver leaf is a risk.

Harvest almonds in their shells, usually August–October in the US, September–October in the UK and suitable warm parts of Canada, and February–April in Australia. Pick or gently shake them down when the outer hulls dry and split open to expose hard shells, then remove the hulls and dry the nuts in a sheltered, well-ventilated place until the kernels are crisp.

Late autumn

Remove fallen leaves and mummified fruit; check drainage before the wet season.

Winter

Plant dormant bare-root trees when soil is workable and not waterlogged or frozen.

Late winter

Check flower buds for frost risk; cover a small tree with horticultural fleece during cold nights and uncover it by day.

Spring

Refresh mulch, feed lightly if needed, and avoid insecticides while flowers attract pollinating insects.

Summer

Water during prolonged dry spells and prune lightly in dry weather.

Late summer to early autumn

Harvest as hulls split; remove hulls promptly and dry nuts in a sheltered, well-ventilated place.

• Use as an early-flowering specimen in a sunny lawn or gravel garden, allowing room for its spreading crown.
• Include in a home orchard with compatible almond cultivars for pollination.
• Train as a fan against a sunny, sheltered wall in cooler districts to improve warmth and ripening.
• Combine with lavender, thyme and other sun-loving plants around the outer edge of a Mediterranean-style planting.

Garden styles it suits: Mediterranean, Backyard orchard, Edible landscape, Homestead, Potager (kitchen garden) and Dry gravel garden.

Plant it with: Lavender, Thyme, Rosemary, Catmint, Yarrow and Chives.

Wildlife: Early flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees when mild weather allows them to fly. Squirrels, birds and rodents may take the nuts.

• Late frost kills flowers or young fruit: choose a late-flowering cultivar, avoid frost pockets and protect small trees during frosty nights.
• Brown rot and blossom blight cause dead flowers, shoot dieback and rotting fruit: remove affected shoots and mummified fruit, and keep the crown open to air.
• Bacterial canker causes sunken bark lesions, gum and branch dieback: prune affected wood in dry summer weather, disinfect tools between cuts and improve drainage.
• Peach leaf curl distorts and reddens young leaves: remove fallen foliage and, where the disease recurs, seek local advice on an approved dormant-season treatment.

Leaves, stems and bitter kernels contain cyanogenic compounds and can poison people, cats, dogs and horses; wilted or damaged foliage is especially hazardous to grazing animals. Bitter almonds can cause severe or fatal poisoning if eaten raw. Kernels from named sweet-almond cultivars are normally edible for people, but almonds can cause serious allergic reactions; hard shells and whole nuts also pose choking or obstruction risks to pets.

• Peach (Prunus persica)

  Leaves and flowers are very similar, but peaches develop a fleshy fruit; almond has a thin, leathery hull that dries and splits around the shell.

• Dwarf flowering almond (Prunus glandulosa)

  A small, often suckering shrub rather than a substantial tree; garden forms commonly have double pink or white flowers and are not grown for edible almonds.

• Russian almond (Prunus tenella)

  A low, suckering shrub with pink flowers and small fruits, rather than the larger orchard tree grown for sweet kernels.

The epithet amygdalus comes from the ancient Greek name for the almond.

Propagation. Usually propagated by budding or grafting a named cultivar onto a suitable Prunus rootstock. Seed-grown trees vary in cropping, flavour and kernel bitterness, so do not rely on seedlings for edible nuts.

Accepted botanical name

Prunus amygdalus

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Native range

Transcaucasus.

Measured

Average height 600 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.