The Hebrew name sha·qedhʹ means, literally, “awakening one,” and this is quite fitting since the almond is one of the earliest trees to bloom following the winter rest, blossoming as early as late January or early February. Note the play on words at Jeremiah 1:11, 12, where the Hebrew word for “almond tree” (sha·qedhʹ) is followed by the expression “keeping awake” (sho·qedhʹ).