The almond (Prunus dulcis, syn. Prunus amygdalus) is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia.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, inside.

The almond is a deciduous tree, growing 4–10m (13–33 ft) in height, with a trunk of up to 30cm (12 in) in diameter. The young twigsare green at first, becoming purplish where exposed to sunlight, then grey in their second year. The leaves are 3–5 inches long,with a serrated margin and a 2.5cm (1 in) petiole. The flowers are white to pale pink, 3–5cm (1–2 in) diameter with five petals, produced singly or in pairs and appearing before the leaves in early spring.Almond grows best in Mediterranean climates with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters.

The almond fruit measures 3.5–6cm (1–2 in) long. In botanical terms, it is not a nut, but a drupe. The outer covering or exocarp, fleshy in other members of Prunus such as the plum and cherry, is instead a thick, leathery, grey-green coat (with a downy exterior), called the hull. Inside the hull is a reticulated, hard, woody shell (like the outside of a peach pit) called the endocarp.