Almond production

Almonds are very particular plants.  They require a fair amount of attention, and very large amounts of water to grow.  One might argue that their overproduction in places like California is to the detriment of the environment.  

But I recently learned about tropical almonds, which grow throughout the Caribbean.  They are a different species of plant, but produce a nut that is very similar to an almond in size and taste.  They grow along the beaches, without much care, and need almost no water, other than natural rainfall.

Given that they taste similar, it certainly seems to me that this version of the almond could be grown and harvested for use in almond butter and almond milk - at a much lower cost to the environment.  Maybe these couldn't replace almonds that are sold whole, but maybe they could be introduced as an alternative product.

Just my thought on the matter.