Plant of the Month – August
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Desert Almond
Prunus fasciculata- Plant Form: Deciduous shrub
- Water Use: Very low
- Mature Size: 6-10’ tall & wide
- Exposure: Full sun, part sun
- Bloom Time: Spring (March – May); fruit Summer (June – July)
- Native to: California, Arizona, Nevada, & Utah (at elevations below 7,300 feet)
- Hardiness: Cold Hardy to 20°F
This durable, drought-tolerant, native southwest shrub makes a reliable privacy screen that never needs watering after established, and produces miniature edible almonds relished by wildlife and humans.
Desert Almond is a densely-branched, fast-growing, deciduous shrub that makes a good screen or background plant. Its small, linear leaves are arranged in bundles on the stems, which can be lightly thorned at their tips. Even though it drops its tiny leaves in winter, this shrub’s dense branching still creates a useful privacy hedge or screen all year. Small white flowers in spring produce round almonds in summer, miniature replicas of commercial almonds which are tasty for humans and wildlife alike. The burst of cherry-almond flavor from a seed smaller than a pea is quite surprising. Like all plants in this genus, the seed contains a small amount of cyanide, so avoid eating large quantities unless they are cooked or leached first. Desert Almond can be pruned into any shape from a hedge to a multi-branched small “tree.” This plant attracts songbirds and pollinators, and needs no water or care after it’s established. Useful as a foundation plant, wind break, privacy screen, for bank stabilization, or to naturalize a native garden.
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