Almonds are native to the Middle East however almond crops are cultivated in many parts of the world. The fruit of the almond is a drupe, consisting of an outer hull and a hard shell with the seed. The almond is a deciduous tree, growing 4–10 m in height, with a trunk of up to 30 cm (12 in) in diameter. The young twigs are green at first, becoming purplish where exposed to sunlight, then grey in their second year.
Almonds begin bearing an economic crop in the third year after planting. Trees reach full bearing five to six years after planting. The fruit matures in the autumn, 7–8 months after flowering.
