Plant Profile - Ficus carica

Figs make wonderful garden plants with green, deeply lobed leaves, and of course the potential to provide sweet golf ball sized fruit.  These figs are the edible fruit of Ficus carica, a species in the Moraceae family (also mulberry, and jackfruit) native to the Mediterranean region, western and southern Asia.  Who hasn’t feasted on the delicious ripe fruit that grows so freely in southern Europe often in carparks and other public spaces.  One of the first plants cultivated by humans, it predates the domestication of wheat and barley.

The fig fruit is botanically an infructescence called a syconium which is a hollow, fleshy structure lined with tiny flowers that develop into the fleshy seeds we eat.  They have a unique relationship with fig wasps (Blastophaga psenes) that enter through a small opening to pollinate the internal flowers.  Many of the garden varieties are self pollinating.

When left unpruned, fig trees can develop into substantial, bushy specimens that create an attractive Mediteranean appearance in garden settings.  If fruit production is your aim, consider training the plant as an espalier fan against a south-facing wall.  Try to restrict root development by growing in a container  or placing  barriers around the root zone.  This root restriction prevents excessive vegetative growth and redirects the tree's energy toward fruit production.  Regular pruning will tame these naturally vigorous plants while also giving better fruiting performance.

In the UK’s  temperate climate, fig trees produce two distinct crops annually, though environmental conditions usually permit only the first to reach maturity.  The early crop originates from embryonic fruits that began forming during last year’s summer.  These ‘proto-fruits’ remain dormant at pea size throughout winter before resuming development in spring and ripening during the following summer.  Being located near the shoot tips, they can benefit from winter protection against frost damage especially in the far north.

The second flush of fruits emerges on current-season growth during late spring and early summer but rarely reaches full ripeness in outdoor British conditions, typically remaining firm and green despite reaching considerable size.  These can be removed at the end of summer to prevent energy waste.  They needn’t be wasted, and can be turned into green fig preserve.

Gardeners are spoiled for choice when it comes to deciding which plant to grow in the garden.  ‘Brown Turkey’ is the variety most often recommended for the UK climate .  ‘Brunswick’ is slightly less vigorous as a plant but crops well in colder areas and  ‘Rouge de Bordeaux’ is good for southern areas of the UK.  With nearly 75 varieties to choose from It can be a good idea to speak to the nursery that supplies them.  Some have particularly attractive, fingered foliage, while others such as ‘Panachée is a heritage variety with yellow and green striped fruit.