Almonds (Prunus dulcis Mill.) are generally relative drought-resistant crops. In the present study, morphological and pomological characteristics of 84 non-irrigated seedling-originated trees were evaluated to identify the genotypes best adapted to drought. Based on the characters recorded, significant differences were observed among the genotypes. Spring frost resistance was high in 17 out of 84 genotypes due late-blooming time. Nut weight ranged between 1.40 and 12.90g with an average of 5.76, while kernels weighted between 0.10 and 3.10g with an average of 1.35. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that 74.76% of total variances were explained by 10 components and confirmed the appropriateness of applying pomological traits to select the superior genotypes. Unweighted pair group method of arithmetic average (UPGMA) method and Euclidean distances-based analysis on all the recorded characters divided the genotypes into two major clusters. Based on ideal values of commercially important characteristics such as fruit yield, nut weight, shell hardness, kernel shape, kernel weight, and kernel taste, 11 genotypes were promising and are recommended for cultivation under drought condition.
