Blooming Almond Trees During Chanukah? You Won't Believe the Reason Behind this Phenomenon

Tu B'Shvat is still far away, and the trees have barely gotten through the shedding season, but it is very likely you will encounter blooming almond trees across the country. Such trees have been seen in places like Pardes Hanna-Karkur and in the central region, but according to Amir Balaban, manager of the Urban Nature Area at the Society for the Protection of Nature, we are likely to meet them in additional areas in the coming weeks.

Almond tree that started blooming in Pardes Hanna-Karkur (Photo: Shachaf Retter, Hof HaCarmel Field School)

How can this be explained?

"First, it's important to understand that the almond tree is considered one of the unique trees of Israel," explains Balaban. "It is one of the important food sources in our region, and over the years, it has undergone a process that changed its almonds from bitter to pleasing to the palate."

Regarding the unusual timing of the blooming this year, Balaban clarifies: "Generally, the almond tree loves the cold and is considered a deciduous tree. This means that at the end of autumn it loses its leaves and enters dormancy during winter until spring arrives, then its blooming begins. Usually, we would see the blooming around February, lasting for several weeks. Sometimes the peak coincides with Tu B'Shvat, but there are years when it comes just after Rosh Hashanah for trees."

(Photo: Shachaf Retter, Hof HaCarmel Field School)

This year, he was surprised to discover that the almond blooming started extremely early. "We have not encountered such early blooming in past years," he says. "The only explanation is that this is a response from the trees to the rainy systems we've experienced so far and the sharp transitions between cold winter days and warm drought periods. The warm temperatures confuse the blooming mechanisms, and even anemones are blooming in large quantities."

Does this mean the end of the almond blooming season will also be earlier than usual?

"We don't know this, but it seems that the end of the season won't come earlier, rather the almond trees will accompany us for many months."

(Photo: Shachaf Retter, Hof HaCarmel Field School)

According to him, it is too early to predict what the next winters will bring, "but it is reasonable to assume that blooming will continue to advance."

Could this mean that in coming years the almond might bloom even during the Tishrei holidays?

"I doubt it, but it's certainly possible that at the beginning of Cheshvan in future years, we might see blooming almond trees."