The common fig's "fruit" is really a hollow pouch lined with hundreds of tiny flowers, which is why you never see a fig tree bloom. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it reached California with Spanish missionaries in 1769 and is now grown in yards across the warmer parts of the country.
Appearance
- Growth form
- A fast-growing deciduous shrub or small tree, usually 10–30 ft (3–9 m) tall and as wide.
- Leaves
- Large, 5–10 in (13–25 cm) long, deeply cut into 3 or 5 lobes, and rough and hairy on top.
- Flowers
- The flowers are hidden inside the fig itself, a fleshy pouch with a tiny opening at the tip.
- Fruit
- Figs are about 1–2 in (3–5 cm) long, ripening from green to purple, brown, or yellow-green depending on variety, in late summer or fall.
Look-alikes
Mulberry leaves are mostly egg-shaped with toothed edges, and the fruit is a small, oblong, blackberry-like cluster. Fig leaves are deeply cut into 3–5 lobes, and the fruit is a smooth pouch about 1–2 in (3–5 cm) long.
Why they get mixed upBoth are in the mulberry family, and a mulberry tree can carry several leaf shapes, including some lobed ones.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Yards and gardens
- Orchards
- Streamside woods (escaped)
- Range
- Native to the Mediterranean region and western Asia. In the US it is widely planted, and in California it has escaped into streamside woods, including in the Sacramento Valley.
- Preferred conditions
- Likes full sun to part shade and rich, well-drained soil that is neutral to acidic. Grows in USDA zones 7–10; in zone 7, plant it against a south-facing wall.
Life cycle
- Reproduction
- In its native range, the tiny fig wasp pollinates the flowers inside the fig. Most figs grown in North America set fruit without pollination; 'Calimyrna' (Smyrna-type) figs need the wasp.
- Seed dispersal
- Escaped figs spread when animals eat the fruit and when seeds wash downstream.
Growing it
- Care
- Prune lightly in winter and mulch the roots in fall for winter protection. Cold-hardy picks include 'Brown Turkey' and 'Chicago Hardy'.
- Toxicity
- The milky sap from leaves and green parts can irritate skin, and sap plus sunlight can cause a blistering rash. It is listed as a problem plant for cats, dogs, and horses.
Name and classification
- Varieties and forms
- Common figs set fruit without pollination and are the type most home gardeners grow.
- Smyrna figs, such as 'Calimyrna', need fig wasps to set fruit; 'Mission', brought by Spanish missionaries, is still grown in California.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
- Status
- Rated a moderate-threat invasive plant in California, where it forms dense thickets that crowd out native plants along waterways.
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- Figs may be one of the first plants people ever cultivated: figs found in the Jordan Valley date to about 9400–9200 BC.
- In the Bible, Adam and Eve cover themselves with fig leaves, which is where the phrase "fig leaf" comes from.
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