Being a deciduous tree it requires a winter dormant period. You will have to overwinter it in a suitably cool area for it to persist.

These plants are grown in large pots, inside the mall twelve months around, so I'm wondering if I'm referring to my plant by the correct name. I checked for pictures on the web and identified it as a wild almond or an Indian almond (the leaves on my plant look the same). I've also seen large trees like this while vacationing in the caribbean. Some Canadian Tire stores carry these as tropical plants (no names given on insert). Perhaps I'm confusing two different plants. Can anyone clarify this for me. Thanks, Tom

Possible to post a picture of your plant? Or, attach a link to what you found on the web that looks like it. I'm guessing that it's one of the many ficus species used as indoor specimens.

Tom:

A couple of questions just to clear things up a bit:

Are you certain of the origin of this cutting? What did the person who gave it to you tell you about its source? Was it one of the mall plants? If so, you might be best off asking the management of the mall who contracts to maintain their plants, then ask them. Care of indoor plants is quite a large business in many urban areas, and I am sure they would be glad to tell you what they are growing and placing in the malls.

Is your impression that it is a type of almond based only your internet search in which you found similar leaves? If so, your identification is by no means certain, since so many leaves look similar in photographs. Rhizo may very well be correct that it is one of the common ficus species.

There is a Gardenweb forum on indoor container growing, in which appropriate soil mixes for this type of culture are one of the most common of topics. You might rather want to visit that forum than this one, which is concerned principally with fruitgrowing.

I was a little puzzled by your comment that Canadian tire stores sell these tropical plants. Surely, Canadian nurseries do not also sell tires.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Don,

I saw this post before, and also thought that the plant in question MUST be some kind of ficus. Possibly the common Ficus benjamina, or Ficus retusa nitida or Ficus 'Ali' -- all common indoor trees, especially in interiorscapes.

Living about 30 miles from the Canadian border, and getting their TV and radio signals, I can clear up one mystery for you, though -- Canadian Tire is a "superstore" chain of big box, home improvement warehouses that started as auto parts stores -- think HomeDepot or Lowe's plus an auto parts department, and you get the picture. Sort of like Costco, too -- they sell a little bit of everything these days, I guess.

Dennis:

Thanks for straightening me out on Canadian Tire. I buy tires at Costco, but also potato chips, so it all makes sense.

I do think that it is often easier to ask about a particular tree species when and where you see it, rather than heading for the internet. Not that there is anything wrong with the internet, but before it came along we somehow got by.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

I've taken everyone's suggestions and comments into consideration...thank you all for that. Below is a link to the plant I have. The original parent plant was grown from one of these nuts (I know that much), and what I have is a rooted cutting. After viewing the link, I would appreciate any suggestions anyone may have about caring for it. Also any information about the plant itself (Is it really an almond or is that just a common name???) Thanks, Tom
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-photo/dragon762/couplessa-2007/1177295340/dscf0039.jpg/tpod.html

Tom, I looked at the photo on the link. Couldn't begin to tell you what it is, but I can tell you with 100% certainty it's NOT the plant we know here as the Almond, Prunus amygdala dulcis, which is a temperate zone plant native to central Asia and which is a close relative of and closely resembles a peach tree. Not a ficus of any kind, as far as I can ascertain. The pods or nuts on it look to me somewhat like photos of unripe nutmeg, but I doubt that that is what this plant is, either, since nutmeg is, to my knowledge, considered somewhat difficult to grow, and probably wouldn't be sold as an indoor houseplant.

I would try posting your questions on the tropical plant or tropical fruit tree forums and see what type of responses you get.

Actually, a couple of minutes on google, and I think I solved the mystery of the ID of this plant. Sounds and looks to me like the plant in question is something called Indian Almond.

Here's a wikipedia link to it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminalia_catappa

Here's another link which shows a better photo, very similar to the one in Tom's link:

http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/Nuts/Indian%20almond.htm

As far as being grown as a tropical interiorscape plant, I personally haven't heard of this one, but I'm no longer working in the horticulture industry, so I'm not up any more on the newest trends. Looks like a pretty plant, hope it's easy to grow.

The picture of the Indian Almond in denninmi's link is definitely the same plant I have. I'll check the tropical plants forum as suggested; thanks for everyone's help. Tom