Almond (Prunus amygdalus)

Almond (Prunus amygdalus) is a plant species in the Rosaceae family; it is a small tree or shrub reaching a height of 3–4.5 meters with a trunk diameter of up to 30 cm. Its young twigs are green, later turning gray. The leaves are 8–13 cm long with serrated edges and 2.5 cm long stalks.

P. amygdalus produces fragrant flowers—ranging from white to pale pink—that are 3–5 cm in diameter and have five petals. The flowers appear singly or in pairs before the leaves emerge in early spring.

The fruit is 3.5–6 cm long. It is not a true nut but rather a drupe. The exocarp and mesocarp are not soft and fleshy but form a thick, hard, grayish-green layer. Inside this protective outer layer lies a woody endocarp that forms a hard, reticulated shell. Within the shell is an edible seed known as the almond kernel.

There is typically one seed, though sometimes two. As the fruit ripens, the outer hull splits and detaches from the shell, and an abscission layer forms between the stalk and the fruit, causing it to fall from the tree. During harvest, mechanical tree shakers are used to accelerate the fruit's fall for collection. The seeds are generally sweet, although some trees produce bitter seeds.

The tree thrives in temperatures between 15C and 30C; its buds require exposure to cold temperatures—specifically 200–700 hours below 7.2C—to break dormancy.

Almonds are frequently consumed directly, either raw or roasted, and also serve as an ingredient in various dishes. They are available in diverse forms, such as whole, slivered, and ground into flour. Many types of sweet dishes feature almonds as a key ingredient.

Almond milk serves as an alternative to dairy and soy milk for those with lactose intolerance and for vegans. Almond milk, almond butter, and almond oil are versatile products used in both sweet and savory dishes. Almond flour is a gluten-free substitute for wheat flour.

Almond syrup is an emulsion of sweet and bitter almonds, typically made using barley syrup or orange flower water syrup and sugar; it is often flavored with synthetic almond essence. Such syrups do not contain significant levels of hydrocyanic acid and are therefore considered safe for consumption.

Almond oil is nearly insoluble in alcohol but dissolves readily in chloroform or ether. It is extracted from dried almond kernels. Sweet almond oil is used as a carrier oil in aromatherapy and cosmetics, whereas bitter almond oil is used as a food flavoring and an ingredient in perfumes.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Subfamily: Amygdaloideae
Tribe: Amygdaleae
Genus: Prunus L. in Sp. Pl.: 473 (1753)
Subgenus: Prunus
Section: Amygdalus
Species: Prunus amygdalus Batsch in Beytr. Entw. Gewächsreich 1: 30 (1801)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Amygdalus amygdalus (Batsch) Frye & Rigg in Northw. Fl.: 134 (1912)
Amygdalus communis L. in Sp. Pl.: 473 (1753)
Druparia amygdalus (Batsch) Clairv. in Man. Herbor. Suisse: 160 (1811)
Prunus communis (L.) Arcang. in Comp. Fl. Ital.: 209 (1882)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Amygdalus amara Duhamel in Traité Arbr. Fruit. 1: 123 (1768)
Amygdalus amara var. pendula Lavallée in Énum. Arbres: 68 (1877)
Amygdalus amara var. pyramidata Lavallée (1877)
Amygdalus amygdalina Oken ex M.Roem. in Fam. Nat. Syn. Monogr. 3: 8 (1847)
Amygdalus cochinchinensis Lour. in Fl. Cochinch.: 316 (1790)
Amygdalus communis f. acuta Magyar in Gyümölcs: 563 (1946)
Amygdalus communis f. albaplena Zabel in L.Beissner, E.Schelle & H.Zabel, Handb. Laubholzben.: 235 (1903)
Amygdalus communis subvar. amara (Duhamel) Rouy & E.G.Camus in G.Rouy & J.Foucaud, Fl. France 6: 27 (1900)
Amygdalus communis var. amara (Duhamel) Willd. in Sp. Pl., ed. 4. 2: 983 (1799)
Amygdalus communis f. angustifolia (H.Jaeger) Zabel (1903)
Amygdalus communis var. angustifolia H.Jaeger in Ziergehölze Gärt. Parkanl.: 101 (1865)
Amygdalus communis f. compacta Zabel (1903)
Amygdalus communis var. cordiformis Risso in Hist. Nat. Prod. Eur. Mérid. 2: 324 (1826)
Amygdalus communis f. cristata Magyar (1946)
Amygdalus communis subvar. dulcis (Mill.) Rouy & E.G.Camus (1900)
Amygdalus communis var. dulcis (Mill.) Borkh. in Theor. Prakt. Handb. Forstbot. 2: 1376 (1803)
Amygdalus communis f. elongata Magyar (1946)
Amygdalus communis var. elongata Risso (1826)
Amygdalus communis florepleno F.J.Schultz in Abb. Bäume Oesterr. 1: t. 25 (1792)
Amygdalus communis foliis-variegatis F.J.Schultz (1792)
Amygdalus communis var. fragilima Ficalho & Cout. in Bol. Soc. Brot. 16: 100 (1899)
Amygdalus communis var. fragilis Pers. in Syn. Pl. 2: (1806)
Amygdalus communis var. fragilis Ser. in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 2: 531 (1825)
Amygdalus communis var. glabra Popov in Trudy Prikl. Bot. 22: 369 (1929)
Amygdalus communis var. incana Popov (1929)
Amygdalus communis lanceifolia K.Koch in Hort. Dendrol.: 139 (1853)
Amygdalus communis f. lanceolata Magyar (1946)
Amygdalus communis var. macrocarpa Ser. (1825)
Amygdalus communis subvar. macrocarpa (Ser.) Rouy & E.G.Camus (1900)
Amygdalus communis f. marginata Zabel (1903)
Amygdalus communis var. maxima Risso (1826)
Amygdalus communis var. media Popov (1929)
Amygdalus communis f. microcarpa Magyar (1946)
Amygdalus communis var. microcarpa Dierb. in Syst. Uebers. Heidelb. Gewächse: 129 (1827)
Amygdalus communis var. ossea Gren. in J.C.M.Grenier & G.Gordon, Fl. France Corse 1: 512 (1849)
Amygdalus communis f. ostraeiformis Magyar (1946)
Amygdalus communis f. ovata Magyar (1946)
Amygdalus communis f. pendula (H.Jaeger) Zabel (1903)
Amygdalus communis var. pendula H.Jaeger (1865)
Amygdalus communis var. pistacia Risso (1826)
Amygdalus communis f. platycarpa Magyar (1946)
Amygdalus communis f. purpurea Zabel (1903)
Amygdalus communis var. pyramidalis Risso (1826)
Amygdalus communis f. roseaplena Zabel (1903)
Amygdalus communis f. rotundata Magyar (1946)
Amygdalus communis var. rubra Risso (1826)
Amygdalus communis var. rugosa Risso (1826)
Amygdalus communis f. salicifolia K.Koch in Dendrologie 1: 81 (1869)
Amygdalus communis var. sativa L. (1753)
Amygdalus communis var. semifragilis Magyar (1946)
Amygdalus communis var. serotina Risso (1826)
Amygdalus communis var. sphaerocarpa Dierb. (1827)
Amygdalus communis var. spontanea Korsh. in Izv. Imp. Akad. Nauk, ser. 5, 14: 90 (1901)
Amygdalus communis var. stenocarpa Dierb. (1827)
Amygdalus communis var. subrotundata Risso (1826)
Amygdalus communis var. tenuis Risso (1826)
Amygdalus communis var. tristis Risso (1826)
Amygdalus communis f. variegata Zabel (1903)
Amygdalus decipiens Poit. & Turpin in H.L.Duhamel du Monceau, Traité Arbr. Fruit. 1: n.° 8 (1830)
Amygdalus dulcis Mill. in Gard. Dict., ed. 8.: n.° 2 (1768)
Amygdalus elata Salisb. in Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton: 356 (1796)
Amygdalus fragilis Borkh. in Vers. Forstbot. Beschr.: 201 (1790)
Amygdalus indica Duhamel (1768)
Amygdalus korshinskyi var. bornmuelleri Browicz in Arbor. Kórnickie 19: 18 (1974)
Amygdalus sativa Mill. (1768)
Amygdalus sinensis Steud. in Nomencl. Bot., ed. 2. 1: 81 (1840)
Amygdalus stocksiana Boiss. in Diagn. Pl. Orient., ser. 2, 2: 45 (1856)
Amygdalus vulgaris Weston in Engl. Fl.: 2 (1775)
Amygdalus vulgaris plena Weston (1775)
Persica Mill. in Gard. Dict. Abr., ed. 4. 3: (1754)
Prunus amygdalus f. alboplena (Zabel) Rehder in J. Arnold Arbor. 20: 99 (1939)
Prunus amygdalus var. amara (Duhamel) Focke in W.D.J.Koch, Syn. Deut. Schweiz. Fl., ed. 3.: 728 (1892)
Prunus amygdalus f. angustifolia Dippel in Handb. Laubholzk. 3: 603 (1893)
Prunus amygdalus var. dulcis (Mill.) Koehne in Deut. Dendrol.: 315 (1893)
Prunus amygdalus var. fragilis (Ser.) Focke (1892)
Prunus amygdalus var. macrocarpa (Ser.) Bean in Trees & Shrubs Brit. Isles 2: 228 (1914)
Prunus amygdalus var. ovalifolia Franch. in Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 6, 16: 281 (1883)
Prunus amygdalus f. pendula (H.Jaeger) Rehder in Bibliogr. Cult. Trees: 326 (1949)
Prunus amygdalus var. pendula (H.Jaeger) Bean (1914)
Prunus amygdalus var. pollardii C.H.Curtis in Gard. Chron., ser. 3, 97: 131 (1935)
Prunus amygdalus var. praecox Bean (1914)
Prunus amygdalus f. purpurea (C.K.Schneid.) Rehder (1939)
Prunus amygdalus f. roseoplena (C.K.Schneid.) Rehder (1939)
Prunus amygdalus var. sativa (L.) Focke (1892)
Prunus amygdalus var. typica Fiori in A.Fiori & al., Fl. Anal. Italia 1: 557 (1898)
Prunus amygdalus f. variegata (C.K.Schneid.) Rehder (1939)
Prunus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Koehne in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 52: 300 (1915)
Prunus communis monstr. albiplena (Zabel) Asch. & Graebn. in Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 6(2): 138 (1906)
Prunus communis subvar. amara (Duhamel) Asch. & Graebn. (1906)
Prunus communis f. amara (Duhamel) C.K.Schneid. in Ill. Handb. Laubholzk. 1: 593 (1906)
Prunus communis subsp. angustata Arcang. (1882)
Prunus communis subvar. angustifolia (Dippel) Asch. & Graebn. (1906)
Prunus communis lusus compacta Zabel ex Asch. & Graebn. (1906)
Prunus communis f. dulcis (Mill.) C.K.Schneid. (1906)
Prunus communis var. fragilis C.K.Schneid. (1906)
Prunus communis subsp. fragilis Arcang. (1882)
Prunus communis var. fragilis (Ser.) C.K.Schneid. (1906)
Prunus communis f. macrocarpa (Ser.) C.K.Schneid. (1906)
Prunus communis monstr. marginata Zabel ex Asch. & Graebn. (1906)
Prunus communis f. pendula (H.Jaeger) C.K.Schneid. (1906)
Prunus communis lusus pendula (H.Jaeger) Asch. & Graebn. (1906)
Prunus communis lusus purpurea (Zabel) Asch. & Graebn. (1906)
Prunus communis f. purpurea C.K.Schneid. (1906)
Prunus communis lusus pyramidalis Asch. & Graebn. (1906)
Prunus communis monstr. roseiplena (Zabel) Asch. & Graebn. (1906)
Prunus communis f. roseoplena C.K.Schneid. (1906)
Prunus communis subvar. sativa (L.) Asch. & Graebn. (1906)
Prunus communis var. typica C.K.Schneid. (1906)
Prunus communis f. variegata C.K.Schneid. (1906)
Prunus communis monstr. variegata Zabel ex Asch. & Graebn. (1906)
Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A.Webb in Feddes Repert. 74: 24 (1967)
Prunus dulcis var. amara (Duhamel) Buchheim in R.Zander, Handw.-Buch Pfl.-Namen, ed. 10: 741 (1972)
Prunus dulcis var. fragilis (Ser.) Buchheim in Handw.-Buch Pfl.-Namen, ed. 10: 741 (1972)
Prunus dulcis var. spontanea (Korsh.) Buchheim in Handw.-Buch Pfl.-Namen, ed. 10: 742 (1972)
Prunus intermedia A.Sav. in Compt. Rend. Assoc. Franç. Avancem. Sci. Assoc. Sci. France 11: 434 (1882 publ. 1883)
Prunus stocksiana (Boiss.) Brandis in Indian Trees: 278 (1906)

PUBLICATIONS

Dar, G.H. & Govaerts, R.H.A. (2025). Flora of Kashmir Himalaya: Sind Valley 1: 1-606. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun, India.

Dash, S.S. & al. (2025). Flora of India 8: 1-531. Botanical Survey of India.

Landrein, S. & al. (2017). Flora of Pakistan 221: 1-161. Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi.

Townsend, C.C. & Guest, E. (1966). Flora of Iraq 2: 1-184. Ministry of Agriculture & Agrarian Reform, Baghdad.

VERNACULAR NAME

Afrikaans: Amandel
Arabic: لوز
Armenian: Նշենի
Bantoanon: Almendro
Catalan: Ametller
Chinese (simplified): 巴旦木 - 巴旦木 - 巴达木 - 巴旦杏 - 扁桃 - 洋杏仁
Chinese (traditional): 巴旦木 - 巴達木 - 扁桃 - 洋杏仁
Czech: Mandloň obecná
Danish: Sødmandel
Dutch: Amandelboom
English: Almond
Estonian: Harilik mandlipuu
Finnish: Manteli, Tarhamanteli
French: Amandier
German: Mandelbaum
Greek: Αμυγδαλιά
Hebrew: שקד מצוי
Hungarian: Közönséges mandula, Mandula
Indonesia: Badam, Kenari Belanda, Almon, Amandel
Italian: Mandorlo
Japanese: アーモンド - アメンドウ - カラモモ - ヘントウ
Java: Badem
Kurdish: بادەم - چوالە
Lesotho: Amanda, Amandele
Polish: Migdałowiec pospolity, Migdałowiec zwyczajny, Śliwa migdał
Portuguese: Amendoeira
Romanian: Migdal
Russian: Миндаль обыкновенный - Миндаль сладкий
Slovak: Mandľa obyčajná
Slovenian: Mandljevec
Sotho: Amanda, Amandele
Spanish: Almendro
Swedish: Mandel
Turkish: Badem
Ukrainian: Мигдаль звичайний

Aryo Bandoro
Dlium TheDlium
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