Much too early, but in many places in Spain the almond blossom is already in full bloom. Normally the almond tree starts to flower in mid-February. However, the mild weather in December has ensured that the blossoming process has already started in many places.
Spain has a total of about 660,000 hectares of almond trees. This is not too surprising given that Spain is the third largest almond producer in the world behind the United States and Australia. It is therefore not surprising that the almond is one of the favorite snacks of Spaniards. Almond sellers can be found in many shopping streets in the country during the harvest months. The roasted variant with a lot of salt is sold in a tulle bag. Be careful if you want to buy a bag because the nut is expensive!
Before an almond tree blooms, it needs about 600 hours of temperatures higher than 7 degrees. In addition, not all types of almond trees bloom at the same time. Perhaps it is not such good news for nature that the almond blossom has started earlier (again) – climate change is probably the culprit – but for nature lovers, hikers and amateur photographers it is good news, because these are the weeks when you can drive through Spain or take a walk to enjoy the annual pink-and-white fur that falls over the valleys, hills and mountains. A beautiful spectacle.
The photo accompanying this article was taken by Miguel Angel Ciudad near Barcelona.
