Almond blossoms in February are a harbinger of Spring
Get ready to experience a sensory overload of color and smell
While I had seen individual almond trees in bloom, nothing prepared me for the visually overwhelming explosion of color the first time I drove past rolling hills blanketed with thousands upon thousands of almond trees covered in white and pink blossoms. In all honesty, I had to pull off to the side of the road just to compose myself. Like other natural events – the Northern Lights for one – seeing an endless carpet of white and pink blossoms stretching to the horizon, will, for many, take the breath away.
Vincent Van Gogh was also a huge lover of almond blossoms, featuring them in numerous paintings from sprigs in a vase to scenes of blossoming trees. "Almond Blossom" is perhaps one of his more famous paintings, and it currently hangs in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
Almond trees will soon be blossoming in Northern California, and it is worth noting that today, California grows more than 80 percent of the world's sweet almonds. However, it was not always so. Almonds are native to Asia and are one of the earliest known cultivated crops with origins dating to the Early Bronze age – 2,000BC to 700BC. Wild almond trees can still be found growing in the Mediterranean region having been brought there during the Middle Ages by traders who traveled the Silk Road. Spanish explorers are the ones who brought the almond tree to North America and are also the ones who first began cultivating the trees in what is now California.
And almond trees are not just valuable for their nuts. In some parts of the world, almond blossoms are harvested for ornamental use as well as dried and then used in making teas and cosmetics.
Almond trees begin blooming in late January and continue blooming through early April throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In California, the bloom typically happens in early to mid-February through about mid-March – always dependent on the weather, of course.
Because almond blossoms begin to swell and show color along the tree's branches before the leaves appear, the almond blossom has become an indicator that Spring is soon arriving. This colorful display of white and pink buds have come to also symbolize awakening and rebirth for many cultures.
While the colorful flowers are stunning, the aroma of almond blossoms is simply intoxicating! In California, orchards are full of trees that are covered with fragrant, five-petaled, light pink to white flowers. The scent is rich and reminds one of jasmine and sweet honey which in an orchard can be quite overwhelming to the nose, especially on a warm day with only a light breeze.

Now that you've read this far, you're likely wanting to know just what 120,000 acres of rolling hills carpeted in white and pink almond blossoms with the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains as a backdrop looks like for yourself. That's easy! I'd recommend embarking on a self-guided road trip through Modesto, California called the Almond Blossom Cruise.
Remember though, unless you have specific permission from the owner of an orchard, never enter an orchard in any way – either on foot among the trees, or by car on dirt roads or canals. This is all private property, and you could do damage to irrigation systems or other property. Also, do pay attention to the road and seek a safe place to park that is well off the road if you want to step closer or take photos. Lastly, patronize the farm stands, either for a lunch or snacks, fresh produce, or other goodies, including of course almonds and all things almond. Rodin Farms is an absolute must visit, and this is one of the few orchards that also allow you to walk among the trees to enjoy the blossoms.
— by Michael Hodgson