Fig
Ficus carica
Confine the roots (a sunken paving slab box or large pot) or you get all leaf and no figs. A warm wall ripens the crop.
The fig is the edible fruit of Ficus carica, a species of tree or shrub in the flowering plant family Moraceae, native to the Mediterranean region, and to western and southern Asia. It has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world. Ficus carica is the type species of the genus Ficus, which comprises over 800 tropical and subtropical plant species.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
At a glance
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Water need
- Low
- Mature height
- 3 m
- Maintenance
- Low
- Hardiness
- USDA 7–10
- Layers
- understory, shrub
Functional roles
Pollination & soil
Common figs set fruit without pollination.
- Soil
- light/sandy, medium/loam
- pH
- Neutral, Alkaline
Poor, free-draining soil; restrict the roots for fruit.
Propagation
How to make more of this plant for free — the permaculture way.
When: Hardwood cuttings late winter
In the UK, give it a warm sheltered wall and restrict the roots for reliable fruit.
Where to get it
Read more
Seed data pending expert review. Identification photo and description are sourced from Wikipedia/Wikimedia; always confirm a plant in person before eating any part of it.