Prunus tenella

{{Short description|Species of shrub}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Prunus tenella1.jpg

| status = DD

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| parent = Prunus subg. Prunus

| taxon = Prunus tenella

| authority = Batsch, 1801

| synonyms =

• Amygdalus ledebouriana Schltdl.
• Amygdalus georgica Desf.
• Amygdalus nana L.
• Prunus ledebouriana (Schltdl.) Y.Y.Yao
• Prunus nana (L.) Stokes
• Prunus georgica (Desf.) Eisenman

| synonyms_ref =[http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/tax_search.pl USDA Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) Online Database]

}}

Prunus tenella, the dwarf Russian almond,{{PLANTS|id=PRTE5|taxon=Prunus tenella|access-date=15 October 2015}} is a species of deciduous shrub in the genus Prunus, native to steppes of Eastern Europe and Western Siberia, as well as dry open sites of Caucasus, Western and Central Asia.

It yields small almond-like hairy fruits with characteristic flavor. It grows to 1.5 m (5 ft) and is a popular ornamental plant in cold temperate regions, valued for its profuse spring blossom and exceptional winter hardiness. It was formerly included in Prunus sect. Amygdalus, but molecular phylogenetic studies indicate it is closely related to bush cherries, apricots and plums, rather than almonds.{{Cite journal|last1=Yazbek|first1=M.|last2=Oh|first2=S.-H.|date=2013-10-01|title=Peaches and almonds: phylogeny of Prunus subg. Amygdalus (Rosaceae) based on DNA sequences and morphology|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-013-0802-1|journal=Plant Systematics and Evolution|language=en|volume=299|issue=8|pages=1403–1418|doi=10.1007/s00606-013-0802-1|s2cid=14542774|issn=1615-6110|via=|url-access=subscription}}{{Cite journal|last1=Wang|first1=Wei|last2=Yang|first2=Tao|last3=Wang|first3=Hui-Ling|last4=Li|first4=Zhen-Jian|last5=Ni|first5=Jian-Wei|last6=Su|first6=Shang|last7=Xu|first7=Xin-Qiao|date=2020-06-23|title=Comparative and phylogenetic analyses of the complete chloroplast genomes of six almond species (Prunus spp. L.)|journal=Scientific Reports|language=en|volume=10|issue=1|pages=10137|doi=10.1038/s41598-020-67264-3|pmid=32576920|pmc=7311419|issn=2045-2322|doi-access=free}}

The Latin specific epithet tenella means "tender" or "delicate".{{cite book | last=Harrison |first=Lorraine | title=RHS Latin for Gardeners | year=2012 |publisher=Mitchell Beazley | location=United Kingdom | isbn=184533731X }}

'Fire Hill' is a popular cultivar with red flowers.{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/75793/prunus-tenella-fire-hill/details | title = Prunus tenella 'Firre Hill' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 29 November 2021}}