Almond tree (sweet plum)

Almond tree (sweet plum)

Appearance: A small tree that sheds its leaves for winter, about height 4-8 meters, Crown quite loose, with relatively few, obliquely raised, straight branches, which split vigorously at a large angle,

Brown-gray or dark brown-black bark, deeply furrowed, cracked and divided into smaller and larger tiles. Stems fairly straight and smooth, later (at least in wild plants) often bearing short shoots, transformed into thorns.

Leaves at least twice as long, how wide they are 4-12 cm in length, are oblong, oval or lanceolate, with long, slender top. Very slightly serrated or serrated at the edges, at the base or in the entire lower half of the leaf – with a characteristic V-shaped longitudinal fold, otherwise smooth and hairless.

The flowers show up well before foliage, singly or in pairs on fairly short stalks. They are quite big – fully developed have 3-5 cm wide. The crown petals are rarely pure white, mostly intensely pink-reddish. The sepals of the chalice are almost as long, like crown petals.

A stonefish about a length 3-4 cm, it is oblong ovate, quite dry, densely hairy and greenish.

Occurrence: Originally only in the Middle East, however, it has been cultivated everywhere in the Mediterranean for a long time.

Flowering period: February to April. Similar species:

Prunus subhirtella has flowers in bunches, with deeply cut crown petals. It is willingly planted in many varieties as an ornamental tree. The Tibetan cherry is similar to it (Prunus serrula), but it is as smooth as a mirror, shiny, mahogany-brown bark, which falls off in narrow transverse strands. At the Yedonian cherry (Prunus x yedoensis) shoots are pubescent at first; the vivid green leaves are also hairy at the veins and petiole. Autumn coloration of golden yellow and brick red, and the flowers are pink or pure white. Often planted in parks and gardens as an ornamental tree, highly valued for its early flowering season.