Prunus dulcis

(Mill.) D. A. Webb

Almond

RosaceaeFruitSeeds/NutsBark/SapScore: 69/100Potential hazards — see below

cosmeticsfodderfoodfuelmedicinal

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Seeds, Nuts, Fruit, Gum, Seeds - oil

The seed can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried and ground into a powder for use in confections. Whole seeds can be roasted, sprouted, or used in cakes, confectionery and pastry. Sweet-flavoured forms have a delicious flavour, but bitter forms should not be eaten in quantity. The seed is somewhat difficult to digest and should be thoroughly chewed. It can be blended with water to make almond milk. An edible oil obtained from the seed is used mainly as a food flavouring and in cooking. An edible gum can also be collected from points of damage on the stems.

Known Hazards

Bitter almonds contain some 40 times the trace levels of cyanide found in sweet almonds. Extract of bitter almond was once used medicinally, but even in small doses, its effects are severe or lethal, especially in children; the cyanide must be removed before consumption. The acute oral lethal dose of cyanide for adult humans is reported to be 0.5–3.5 mg/kg (0.2–1.6 mg/lb) of body weight (approximately 50 bitter almonds), so that for children consuming 5–10 bitter almonds may be fatal. Symptoms of eating such almonds include vertigo and other typical cyanide poisoning effects. Almonds may cause allergy or intolerance. Cross-reactivity is common with peach allergens (lipid transfer proteins) and tree nut allergens. Symptoms range from local signs and symptoms (e.g., oral allergy syndrome, contact urticaria) to systemic signs and symptoms including anaphylaxis (e.g., urticaria, angioedema, gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms). Almonds are susceptible to aflatoxin-producing moulds. Aflatoxins are potent carcinogenic chemicals produced by moulds such as Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. The mould contamination may occur from soil, previously infested almonds, and almond pests such as navel-orange worm. High levels of mould growth typically appear as grey to black filament-like growth. It is unsafe to eat mould-infected tree nuts. Some countries have strict limits on allowable levels of aflatoxin contamination of almonds and require adequate testing before the nuts can be marketed to their citizens. The European Union, for example, introduced a requirement since 2007 that all almond shipments to the EU be tested for aflatoxin. If aflatoxin does not meet the strict safety regulations, either the entire consignment must be reprocessed to eliminate the aflatoxin or it must be destroyed.

Where to Find It

It suits a Mediterranean climate. It is native to N. Africa, C and S.W. Asia. They are frost hardy. They need a warm summer to fully ripen. It suits hardiness zones 7-10. Arboretum Tasmania.

Afghanistan, Africa, Andorra, Arabia, Armenia, Asia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Balkans, Brazil, Britain, Caucasus, Central America, Central Asia, Chile, China, Colombia, Cyprus, East Africa, Europe, France, Georgia, Greece, Himalayas, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Macedonia, Malawi, Mediterranean, Mexico, Middle East, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, North Africa, North America, Pakistan, Portugal, SE Asia, Somalia, South Africa, South America, Spain, Syria, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, USA, Uzbekistan, Venezuela,

Countries: Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Antigua & Barbuda, Albania, Armenia, Angola, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Barbados, Bangladesh, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Brunei, Bolivia, Brazil, Bahamas, Bhutan, Botswana, Belarus, Belize, Canada, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Switzerland, Cote d'Ivoire, Chile, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cape Verde, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Djibouti, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Algeria, Ecuador, Estonia, Egypt, Eritrea, Spain, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, United Kingdom, Grenada, Georgia, French Guiana, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Croatia, Haiti, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Comoros, St Kitts & Nevis, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, St Lucia, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Libya, Morocco, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, Madagascar, North Macedonia, Mali, Myanmar, Mongolia, Mauritania, Malta, Mauritius, Maldives, Malawi, Mexico, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Netherlands, Norway, Nepal, Oman, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Pakistan, Poland, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Paraguay, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Sweden, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sierra Leone, San Marino, Senegal, Somalia, Suriname, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, El Salvador, Syria, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, Taiwan, Tanzania, Ukraine, Uganda, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, St Vincent, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A deciduous tree. It grows 7.5-12 m high. It can spread 7.5-9 m wide. It grows straight then spreads later. The bark is dark grey and cracks. The bark has yellow rings of pores around the trunk. The leaves are alternate and long pointed. They are 12 cm long by 4 cm wide. They hang down. The leaves have fine soft teeth around the edge. The leaves are folded along the midrib. It loses its leaves during the year. The flowers appear before the leaves. The flowers occur either singly or in pairs. They are pink and 5 cm across. The fruit are green and contain edible nuts. The fruit are 6 cm long. The flesh is dry and leathery. There is one stone and the white seed inside is edible.

Nutrition Score: 69/100

Part	Moisture	kJ	kcal	Protein	Vit A	Vit C	Iron	Zinc
Nuts	5.3	2418	578	21.26	1	0	4.3	3.4

How to Grow

Almond trees cannot pollinate themselves. For good fruit set pollinating cultivars are planted along with others.

Propagation: Seed requires 2–3 months of cold stratification and is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed should be sown in a cold frame as early in the year as possible and protected from mice. Germination can be slow, sometimes taking 18 months. Prick out seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle, overwinter them in a greenhouse or cold frame, and plant out in late spring or early summer the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel can be taken in July/August in a frame, though these are difficult. Softwood cuttings from strongly growing plants can be taken in spring to early summer in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood can be taken in late autumn in a frame. Layering can be done in spring.

Medicinal Uses

Almonds are beneficial to overall health and are used particularly in the treatment of kidney stones, gallstones and constipation. Externally, the oil is applied to dry skin and used as a carrier oil in aromatherapy. The seed is demulcent, emollient, laxative, nutritive and pectoral; when used medicinally, the fixed oil from the seed is normally employed. The seed contains laetrile, also called vitamin B17, which has been claimed to have a positive effect in the treatment of cancer, though evidence for this is currently limited. The pure substance is almost harmless, but on hydrolysis yields hydrocyanic acid, a very rapidly acting poison, and should be treated with caution. In small amounts this exceedingly poisonous compound stimulates respiration, improves digestion and gives a sense of well-being. The leaves are used in the treatment of diabetes. The plant contains the antitumour compound taxifolin.

Other Uses

Prunus species can be used as windbreaks and in alley cropping systems, improving biodiversity by providing habitats for pollinators and other wildlife, and some varieties contribute to soil health. An oil expressed from the seeds is an excellent lubricant for delicate mechanisms such as watches, and is widely used in soaps and cosmetics for its skin-softening effect. A green dye can be obtained from the leaves, a dark grey to green dye from the fruit, and a yellow dye from the roots and leaves. Bruised leaves rubbed inside a container will remove strong odours such as garlic or cloves, provided any grease has first been cleaned off. Gum from the stems can be used as an adhesive. The burnt shell yields a valuable absorbent for coal gas. The burnt pericarp is rich in potassium and is used in soap making. The seed contains amygdalin, which under the influence of water and in the presence of emulsin can be hydrolysed to produce benzaldehyde (almond aroma, C6H5CHO) and prussic acid. The flowers are rich in nectar and pollen, attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The fruits provide food for birds and mammals, and the trees offer shelter and nesting or roosting sites. The bark and leaf litter provide overwintering sites for invertebrates. The tree can be grown as an espalier, trained flat against a support such as a trellis or wall.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Deciduous tree reaching 6m tall and wide, growing at medium rate. Hardy to UK zone 7. Flowers March to April; seeds ripen October. Hermaphrodite, insect-pollinated, self-fertile. Noted for attracting wildlife. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils preferring good drainage. Grows in mildly acid, neutral, or basic soils. Requires full sun. Prefers moist conditions.

Production

Trees can bear for 50 years. A tree can produce 10-15 kgs per year.

Notes

There are about 200 Prunus species. Probably Prunus amygdalus but it is an unresolved name in The Plant List.

Names & Synonyms

Aamondo, Ajik, Almendro, Amandier, Amendoa-doce, Amendoa-europeia, Amendoeira, Amiddala, Badam, Badem, Bahiv, Beivf, Bian tou, Bodom, Cagala, Chaqalla bawi, Hung yun, Kara momo, Mandelbaum, Mandoria, Payam, Sweet almond, Xing ren

Amygdalus communis L.Amygdalus dulcis Mill.Prunus amygdalus (L.) BatschPrunus communis (L.) Arcang., nom. illeg.Prunus dulcis var. amara (DC.) Buchheim

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