The almond, whose scientific name is Prunus amygdalus, comes from the Rose family. The almond plant is a small to medium sized tree, growing up to 30 feet, with a dark-brown bark and narrow leaves. You can tell the plant is a dicot by looking at the branching veins in the leaf. Looking at the almond fruit, you can see how it resembles a young peach. As an interesting note, the peach and the almond come from the same family.
Almonds come in two varieties: sweet, and bitter. Sweet almonds are the almonds you usually eat or snack on. Bitter almonds, however, contain the poisonous prussic acid. Manufacturers have to remove the prussic acid when they press the almonds for oil. Almond oil can be extracted from both varieties, and is used in flavoring, soaps, cosmetics, and in cough medicine.
The almond tree originated in South-central Asia, and was cultivated in the Mediterranean by the Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans. In the 1700s, Spanish missionaries brought the almond to California, which is now the biggest grower of almonds worldwide.
Almond flowers and fruit are similar to those of the peach tree. The flowers are fragrant and pinkish-white in color, with 5 petals and sepals. These flowers are cross-pollinated through honeybees. The almond fruit is a drupe, meaning there is a large nut in the middle. This nut is revealed when the hull dries and splits open.
Trees usually produce fruit when they are 3 or 4 years old, and continue producing for over 50 years.
The almond tree grows best in deep, loamy, and well-drained soils, but is also tolerant of poor soils. The almond tree does best in regions with mild winters, and long, dry, hot summers. Spring frost and high humidity may hinder the growth of almonds.
Almond varieties differ according to their regions. Some varieties flower later than others due to the chill in the temperature, while others are more susceptible to fungus. Many growers breed certain Almond varieties to suit the climate of the region.
Commercially, almonds grow only 10 to 15 feet. For harvesting, mechanical tree shakers shake the trees to make the nuts fall down. The nuts are left on the ground to dry for 1-2 weeks before they are collected.
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