When spring arrives we begin to see how thousands of plants bloom. Specifically, the case of almond trees is a spectacle of nature. These fruit trees cover the ground around them with thousands of pink and white flowers, much like cherry blossoms. Although the almond tree is a very popular fruit tree for the fruit it bears, the almond, surely very few know what the almond flower is called.
The goal of this article is to answer this big question. In addition, we will explain what exactly the almond tree is, what its flowers are like and when they bloom.
What is the almond tree?
Also know as Amygdalus communis o Almond, the almond tree is a deciduous fruit tree that belongs to the Rosaceae family. It is mainly found in warm and temperate areas, since it does not tolerate cold very well. The main reason why this vegetable is grown is for its fruit, the almond, very popular in the culinary, cosmetic and pharmacological world. Among the most cultivated varieties of almonds in Spain are the following: Largueta, Mallorca, Marcona, Mollares and Planet.
Almond trees can reach a height of up to ten meters. They have a smooth greenish trunk when they are young, but as they get older their trunk turns grayish and begins to crack. As for its leaves, they have a narrow and elongated shape and their edges are jagged. Later we will discuss what the almond flower is called and what it looks like.
History
The first places where the almond tree began to be cultivated were Palestine, Persia and Syria. According to biblical legends, the patriarch named Abraham built pens with almond tree sticks for his flocks. Another reference to this tree that we can find in the Bible is in the story of Aaron, who used an almond branch as a cane. Also, this tree is present in the earthly Paradise. It is not surprising, because in the Bible it has an important meaning. The almond tree symbolizes good fruit and vigilance. For this reason, it is also common to find one of these trees surrounding paintings of the Virgin Mary or the baby Jesus, who is the fruit of the Virgin.
It was the Greeks who wanted to spread the almond tree throughout the Mediterranean area, while at the end of the XNUMXth century, some Franciscan missionaries planted the first almond trees in the Californian region belonging to San Diego, originating from our lands. Since then, the cultivation of the almond tree has been carried out in a large part of the planet to obtain its delicious fruits.
almond blossom
We already know what exactly this tree is, so we are now going to talk about what really interests us: What is the name of the almond flower. Well, it is important to note that this vegetable gets its name from the fruit it bears, the almond, and not from its beautiful flowers. These usually change color depending on the moment of flowering in which they are. In the event that the tree blooms early, its flowers will be more whitish. On the contrary, if the almond tree starts to bloom later, they will be pink.
Regarding the appearance of the almond blossoms, these are very similar to those of the cherry tree. However, its size is somewhat larger. Another aspect in which both species differ is that the flowers of the almond tree do not have any floral pattern when it comes to growing, but rather they develop directly on the trunk. In other words: they do not have the typical finite stem that joins the flower to the branch.
Name
But what is the name of the almond blossom? They do not have a name per se, but They are named according to the degree of development in which they are found. The reason this is done is that the location of the bloom is of paramount importance when it comes to almond production.
First they are just a few green shoots that appear on the trunk. Then, when these buds begin to turn pink, they enter the "bud" stage. Once these have begun to open and grow, the time comes when they are about to bloom. In this state, almond blossoms are called "popcorn" for its resemblance to this appetizer that we like to enjoy so much in cinemas.
When does the almond tree bloom?
When the flowering season begins, the almond tree is one of the first fruit trees to show its beautiful flowers. It begins to flower normally between the end of January and the month of March. It's kind of early, right? The strategy of this vegetable is very simple: It prefers to risk losing its flowers if there is another frost than to have to face the difficulties that trying to get enough water later would provide. If it is not able to absorb enough liquid during the summer, its fruits will not be able to ripen correctly.
Generally, the almond tree is in full bloom from the end of March. However, some trees flower late. In these cases, flowering takes place for approximately seven days at the end of March. As we have already mentioned above, the flowers that develop later are distinguished by their pink color, while the first ones are more whitish.
There are two main factors that determine the time of flowering of this fruit tree: The geographical position in which the crop is located and the variety in question. In general, almonds can be harvested between the months of August and October.
If you like almonds or simply want to enjoy the spectacular flowering of these trees, a good option is to plant one in your orchard or garden. For this, I recommend that you take a look at this article from tips on planting almond trees.