Flowering Almond
Prunus glandulosa
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…for a filigreed spring bloom
Common Name: Dwarf Flowering Almond
Latin Name: Prunus glandulosa
Design Tip: Incorporate one or more into a mixed planting for a spring splash, followed by summer greenery. The lax stems and small leaves suit a naturalized scene.
Form: The multi-stemmed small shrub is composed of thin wiry branches emerging upright from the center. With age, the stems relax downwards in irregular directions.
Size: A moderate growth rate matures at 4 to 5 foot height.
Flowers: The blooms open before its leaves sprout in mid spring. Numerous varieties offer a choice of single or double blossoms in white or pink. The bloom spell may last only two weeks, but provides a delightful prelude to the oncoming growing season.
Foliage: Deciduous medium-green leaves have an elongated oval shape with finely toothed edges.
Soil: The flowering almond shrub will live in moderately dry soil or well-drained irrigated bed. Irrigation is required the first season after planting and during long droughts. An annual feeding after flowering, and a deep organic mulch insures good subsequent blooms.
Light Exposure: Flowering Almond grows in full sun or partial shade.
Cold Tolerance: It is hardy to USDA Zones 4.
Grooming: An annual pruning after blooms decline will induce new wood growths for increased bloom in the following spring.
Snippets: Branches cut in early spring can be forced into bloom indoors. The shrub transplants easily in the dormant season. The species is Native to Japan and China.
Cultivated, photographed and written by
Maggie Ross McNeely in Ft. Worth, Texas
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