The fruit of the almond is a drupe, consisting of an outer hull and a hard shell with the seed (which is not a true nut) inside. Shelling almonds refers to removing the shell to reveal the seed. Blanched almonds are shelled almonds that have been treated with hot water to soften the seed-coat, which is then removed to reveal the white embryo.
The almond is a deciduous tree, growing 4–10 m in height, with a trunk of up to 30 cm in diameter. The young twigs are green at first, becoming purplish where exposed to sunlight, then grey in their second year. The leaves are 7.5-12 cm long, with a serrated margin and a 2.5 cm petiole.
The flowers are white to pale pink, 3–5 cm diameter with five petals, produced singly or in pairs and appearing before the leaves in early spring. Almond grows best in Mediterranean climates with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The optimal temperature for their growth is between 15 and 30 °C and the tree buds have a chilling requirement of between 300 and 600 hours below 7.2 °C to break dormancy. Almonds begin bearing an economic crop in the third year after planting. Trees reach full bearing five to six years after planting. The fruit matures in the autumn, 7–8 months after flowering.
This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.
My most beloved fruits... (in Germany they are rare) - they are blooming now with you?
ReplyDeleteExquisite shaped flowers and even better almonds.
ReplyDeleteI had walnuts in the back yard....great nuts but the flowers are not as beautiful.
Almond trees are real beauties :)
ReplyDeleteNow I know Spring is almost here.
ReplyDelete