Skip to ContentAlmond orchards run south and west of Chico, and the area around Durham is known for early bloom. This page uses the Almond Board of California for the orchard year and a Blue Diamond crop report for Durham. For viewing tips, see our bloom guide.
Checked November 1, 2026
- Mid-Feb to mid-Marbloom, per the Almond Board
- Aug–Octharvest, per the Almond Board
- 34,278bearing almond acres in Butte County, 2025 (as printed on our guide)
- $144.7Malmond gross value, 2025 (same source)
The Orchard Year
| When | What Happens, Per the Almond Board |
|---|---|
| November to January | Dormancy. Trees lose their leaves; soils store rainwater; buds begin to swell near the end. |
| Mid-February to mid-March | Bloom. Buds open into white and light-pink blooms and beekeepers bring hives into the orchards. |
| March to June | Kernels mature and the shell hardens inside a fuzzy hull. Irrigation starts once spring rains stop. |
| July | Hulls split open to expose the shell and kernel to dry. |
| August to October | Harvest. Machines shake the nuts to the ground, they dry in the sun for 7 to 10 days, then a sweeper forms rows and a pickup machine vacuums them up. Each variety is harvested separately. |
Durham
Blue Diamond Growers, an almond cooperative, wrote in its February 23, 2026 crop progress report that “the most advanced plantings in the Durham area of Butte County saw their peak blooms” the week before. That is one season’s report, not a promise that Durham always blooms first. See Durham, Gridley and Biggs for the area and drive times.
Bees
The Almond Board says honey bees move pollen between tree varieties during bloom, and that afterward beekeepers move their hives to other U.S. locations to pollinate more than 90 other crops.
Seeing The Bloom
Our Almond Bloom and Fall Color guide covers when and how to look. Orchards and rice fields are working private land. Look from public roads and pullouts, keep out of the rows, and never block a farm gate (general guidance). Keep clear of hives.
Questions People Ask
When do almonds bloom near Chico?
Between mid-February and mid-March, per the Almond Board of California.
When are almonds harvested?
August through October, per the Almond Board. Machines shake them to the ground, they dry 7 to 10 days, then they are swept and picked up.
Why are there beehives in the orchards?
Honey bees pollinate the bloom, per the Almond Board.
More in Agriculture
- Agriculture Home
- Rice Country
- Richvale
- Rice and Wildlife
- Almond Country
- Walnuts, Prunes and Other Crops
- Paradise Apple Orchards
- Rancho Chico Farming History
- Chico State University Farm
- Farmers Markets and Farm Stands
- Farm Year Calendar
Sources
- Almond Board of California, almond lifecycle: https://www.almonds.org/why-almonds/growing-good/almond-lifecycle (checked November 1, 2026)
- Blue Diamond Growers, crop progress report (Feb. 23, 2026): https://www.bluediamond.com/news/crop-progress-report-february-23-2026/ (checked November 1, 2026)
Cite this page: It's Chico, “Almond Country: Orchards Around Durham and Chico”, itschico.com/agriculture/almond-country/ (updated ). By the It's Chico editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.