Along with the peach, it is classified in the subgenus Amygdalus, distinguished from the other subgenera by corrugations on the shell (endocarp) surrounding the seed.

[3] The fruit of the almond is a drupe, consisting of an outer hull and a hard shell with the seed, which is not a true nut.

[6] Almonds were one of the earliest domesticated fruit trees, due to the ability to produce quality offspring entirely from seed, without using suckers and cuttings.

Evidence of domesticated almonds in the Early Bronze Age has been found in the archeological sites of the Middle East, and subsequently across the Mediterranean region and similar arid climates with cool winters.

[7] Droughts in California have caused some producers to leave the industry, leading to lower supply and increased prices.

[7] The almond is a deciduous tree growing to 3–4.5 metres (10–15 feet) in height,[4][8] with a trunk of up to 30 centimetres (12 inches) in diameter.

The fragrant flowers are white to pale pink, 3–5 cm (1–2 in) diameter with five petals, produced singly or in pairs and appearing before the leaves in early spring.

[4][10][11] Almond trees thrive in Mediterranean climates with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters.

Inside the hull is a woody endocarp which forms a reticulated, hard shell (like the outside of a peach pit) called the pyrena.

[24] The adjective amygdaloid (literally 'like an almond, almond-like') is used to describe objects which are roughly almond-shaped, particularly a shape which is part way between a triangle and an ellipse.

[27] Sources indicate that its origins were in an area stretching across Central Asia, Iran, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kurdistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq,[27][28] or in an eastern Asian subregion between Mongolia and Uzbekistan.

[28][30][31] Almond cultivation was spread by humans centuries ago along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea into northern Africa and southern Europe,[28][29] and more recently to other world regions, notably California.

[6][33] The species Prunus fenzliana may be the most likely wild ancestor of the almond, in part because it is native to Armenia and western Azerbaijan, where it was apparently domesticated.

[6][28] Wild almond species were grown by early farmers, "at first unintentionally in the garbage heaps, and later intentionally in their orchards".

[31] Domesticated almonds appear in the Early Bronze Age (3000–2000 BC), such as the archaeological sites of Numeira (Jordan),[6] or possibly earlier.

[36] Of the European countries that the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh reported as cultivating almonds, Germany[37] is the northernmost, though the domesticated form can be found as far north as Iceland.

This business was heavily affected by colony collapse disorder at the turn of the 21st century, causing a nationwide shortage of honey bees and increasing the price of insect pollination.

[44] Almond production in California is concentrated mainly in the Central Valley,[45] where the mild climate, rich soil, abundant sunshine and water supply make for ideal growing conditions.

[56][57] Spain has diverse commercial cultivars of almonds grown in Catalonia, Valencia, Murcia, Andalusia, and Aragón regions, and the Balearic Islands.

[21] Extract of bitter almond was once used medicinally but even in small doses, effects are severe or lethal, especially in children; the cyanide must be removed before consumption.

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.

After publishing the rule in March 2007, the almond pasteurisation program became mandatory for California companies effective 1 September 2007.

[68] The USDA-approved marketing order was challenged in court by organic farmers organised by the Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based farm policy research group which filed a lawsuit in September 2008.

Typical of nuts and seeds, almonds are a source of phytosterols such as beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, sitostanol, and campestanol.

[72] Almonds are included as a good source of protein among recommended healthy foods by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

[73] A 2016 review of clinical research indicated that regular consumption of almonds may reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering blood levels of LDL cholesterol.

Colomba di Pasqua is the Easter counterpart of the two well-known Italian Christmas desserts, panettone and pandoro A wide range of classic sweets feature almonds as a central ingredient.

In Moroccan cuisine, sharbat billooz, a common beverage, is made by blending blanched almonds with milk, sugar and other flavourings.

[81] Almonds contain polyphenols in their skins consisting of flavonols, flavan-3-ols, hydroxybenzoic acids and flavanones[82] analogous to those of certain fruits and vegetables.

Oleum amygdalae, the fixed oil, is prepared from either sweet or bitter almonds, and is a glyceryl oleate with a slight odour and a nutty taste.