Almond Tree Growth

Almond fruit turns from pale green to tan as it matures.

Almond fruit turns from pale green to tan as it matures.

Almond trees (Prunus dulcis) not only provide landscapes with shade, color, fragrance and ornamental beauty, they also produce fresh nuts each year. Almonds originate from Southwestern Asia and the Middle East. Healthy growth of these trees is a direct result of proper growing sites, suitable climates, continued care and insect and disease control.


Almond trees have an upright, rounded growth habit and often sport multiple trunks. In the home landscape, they reach heights of 10 to 15 feet; however, they have the ability to grow to 30 feet. An almond tree's width is equal to its height. Their 5-inch long, oval leaves have pointed tips and fine-toothed edges. Leaves grow in abundance, creating a thick canopy. Almond trees produce pale pink to white, sweet-scented blooms in the early spring, before the last spring frost date passes. Pollinated flowers develop into hard shells that house nuts. The nuts mature eight months after they appear.

Climate and Culture

Almonds grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 9. In order to set fruit each year, these trees require 300 to 500 hours of temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Almonds thrive in full sunlight and loamy, nutrient-rich, fast draining soil with a pH of 7.0. Growth suffers in salty soils. The best planting sites reside in areas protected from high winds that may break branches heavy with fruit or blow fruit off the tree.


Proper care of almond trees will promote healthy growth and development. Healthy almond trees will grow 8 to 15 inches each year. Almond trees that produce less than 8 inches of growth in one year benefit from 1/2 to 1 pound of actual nitrogen split between a spring and summer application. Providing supplemental watering to a depth of 18 to 24 inches every one to two weeks during the growing season will ensure sufficient moisture. Prevent over-watering by keeping the soil evenly moist but never soggy. Annual pruning to remove dead, diseased and broken limbs will rejuvenate the tree's growth.


An almond tree's growth may suffer from attacks of insects and diseases. Insect such as scale, navel orange worm, aphids, ants, peach twig borers, wood-boring beetles and mites target almonds. Using horticultural oils, insecticidal soaps, parasitic insects and insecticides will control insect pests. Almond trees have a susceptibility to fungal and bacterial diseases, such as leaf spot, verticillium wilt, brown rot, anthracnose, scab and powdery mildew. Disease management includes the use of physical methods such as pruning, weeding, and chemical control, such as fungicides.

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