Over the past few years, I have visited several almond orchards across Spain and Portugal that are producing European cultivars of almonds. These orchards are of all shapes and planting methods, including super high density, modern high densities (115-180 trees/acre), trees with an upright, bushy, or semi-upright structure, and various pruning methods. Cultivars planted included releases from the 1970’s through releases from the past ten years. These varieties are characterized by their hard-shell/low kernel turnouts, self-fertility, later blooming, and higher fat content. Production in these orchards is highly varied. Production within most plantings is less than what is expected in California (i.e. 2000 lbs/acre is a good yield), with ranges observed from 1000-3000 lbs/acre. It is hard to determine the reason for such a wide range in yields because of the number of variables involved. Many plantings are grown in water-limited environments (~60-80% of full irrigation), have varying development practices, as well as shorter growing seasons. Furthermore, nearly all the European cultivars have a lower crack out (~30-40% in comparison to 45-60% for California varieties), which impacts yield. Unfortunately, direct comparisons to “California” cultivars are few. This prevents direct comparisons of bloom timing, production potential, and production operational expense. European cultivars, however, may have some characteristics that would be useful within California production systems. These characteristics include: Self-fertility. Due to the ability for the pollen to pollinate and fertilize flowers on the same tree, these cultivars provide several advantages to most CA type orchards. This includes the planting of solid blocks, reduced bee requirements, and easier irrigation management during critical times. Beehives do seem to provide a yield response, and it is estimated that 0.5-1 hive/acre would be needed to maximize yield. The release if the California cultivars ‘Independence,’ ‘Shasta,’ and other soft-shell, self-fertile almond cultivars provide these similar benefits.