Prunus fasciculata var. fasciculata

Desert almond

Family: Rosaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Desert almond is a California native shrub found in southern Sierra Nevada foothills, Tehachapi, southern Coast Ranges, northern Transverse Ranges, eastern Peninsular Ranges, and desert regions at elevations of 700 to 2,200 meters in creosote-bush scrub and pinyon/juniper woodlands. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces white to pale pink flowers small and clustered along its branches. Growing with dense, intricately branched stems 1 to 3 meters tall, it forms a compact and somewhat thorny silhouette. Its leaves are softly hairy (puberulent), typically narrow and elongated, arranged alternately along the stems. The fruits are small, hard almonds characteristic of its genus, providing food for local wildlife.

Habitat: Creosote-bush scrub, Joshua-tree or pinyon/juniper woodland

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: 700-2200 m

Bioregions: s SNF, Teh, s SCoRI, n TR, e PR, D

California counties: San Bernardino, Kern, Inyo, Los Angeles, Riverside, Imperial, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Santa Barbara

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.