LEAF Network Linking Edible Arizona Forests

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Member profile details

PLANT PROFILE SHEET PDF

http://leafnetworkaz.org:80/resources/PLANT%20PROFILES/Fig_profile.pdf

IDENTIFICATION

Common Name

fig

Photo #1

Scientific Name

Ficus carica L.

Family

Moraceae

Spanish Name

higo

Species Description

Fig trees are upright to pendulous, spreading or compact, with broad, palmate, deciduous leaves. Fig leaves are deeply divided into three to seven main lobes, each of which may be shallowly lobed and irregularly toothed along the margins. The trunks may reach seven inches in diameter, with multiple open branches. Branches and stems have white, milky sap. Vegetative buds and fruit appear at leaf axils in late summer. Fig fruit is not actually a true fruit, but a synconium, a hollow flower receptacle with a small opening at the end. The fruit may be rounded to pear-shaped, and ranges in color from yellow-green to brown, bronze, red and dark-purple. Inside, numerous flowers are produced along the inner wall of the fruit. The skin of the fig is thin and tender. The fleshy fruit wall is pale-yellow to pink, red or purple in color. The seeds may be small to large and range from 30 to 1,600 per fruit.

NATURAL / CULTURAL HISTORY

AZ Native or Introduced

Introduced to Arizona

Natural Range

Fig trees are adapted to Mediterranean climates with hot dry summers, warm winters, and little or no late summer and fall rains.

Cultural-Historic Notes

Figs are thought to have originated in southern Arabia and migrated from there to Asia Minor, Syria, and the Mediterranean. They are one of first crops to be cultivated and are documented in Sumerian records 2,900 BCE, and Babylonian hymnals dating to 2,000BCE. They have been found in Egyptian tombs, and are in the writings of Pliny, Cato, and Theophrastus. Spanish brought fig trees to the West Indies in 1520. They were widely established in Mexico by the late 17th century.

GROWTH FORM & RATE

Growth Form

Tree

Tree or Understory

Tree

Other Growth Characteristics

Seasonally Deciduous

Growth Rate

Moderate to fast

Canopy Diameter

15-50 feet

Tree Height

10-30 feet

Lifespan

30-40+ years

Years to Bearing, if nursery tree is 1-2 years old; grafted

2-4 years

Chill Hours

<100 hours

Freeze Tolerance

There are considerable differences in hardiness between cultivars. Fig trees are generally cold hardy from 10-20 degrees F, depending on cultivar and planting site.

Appropriate Arizona Elevation Categories

HIGH DESERT: Sierra Vista, Kingman, Globe, Wilcox - USDA Zones 8a-8b (10-20ºF)
MID DESERT: Tucson, Ajo, Safford, Casa Grande - USDA Zones 9a-9b (20-30ºF)
LOW DESERT: Phoenix, Lake Havasu City, Yuma - USDA Zones 9b-10a (25-35ºF)

USDA Interactive Plant Zone Map for Arizona

USDA Interactive Plant Zone Map for Arizona

WATER

Relative Plant Water Use

Medium: 20-35 inches / year

Post-Establishment Irrigation Needs

2 X Month in Growing Season

Notes on Species-Specific Water Needs

In hot dry climates, fig trees will require about 30 inches of irrigation annually during the growing season. Insufficient irrigation will result in poor tree growth, and too little water near harvest time will reduce the thickness of the fruit.

CARE

Pollination

Figs are pollinated by a fig wasp that completes its lifecycle in caprifigs. Caprifigs are a group of figs that have both male and female flowers within the fruits and are usually inedible, but are necessary in pollinating commercially important Smyrna figs. Without pollination, Smyrna figs will dry and fall from the tree while still immature. Common figs, including Kadota, Adriatic, and Mission cultivars do not need pollination to set fruit, but will produce larger fruits with darker flesh if pollinated.

Soils

Fig trees can be grown on a wide range of soil types from sandy to heavy clay, with a pH between 6-7.8.

Propagation

Figs are primarily propagated from rooted cuttings. Hardwood cuttings root readily when taken during the dormant season. Cuttings with reduced amounts of pith work best, including basal portions of year old wood and 2-3 year cuttings.

Pruning Notes

Train young trees during the first five years to have strong support limbs that will carry heavy crops on the mature trees. Maintenance prune to keep structural integrity, improve light penetration, remove dead branches, and promote growth of fruiting wood.

HARVEST & PROCESSING

Edible Parts

Figs are primarily eaten fresh, dried whole or as a paste. Fresh figs are often served with cream and sugar. Figs may be stewed or cooked in pies, puddings, cakes, bread and other baked goods, or added to ice cream. The whole fruits may also be preserved in sugar syrup or made into jam, marmalade, or thick paste (usually mixed with flour, sugar, oil and spices).

Harvest Months

June
July
August
September
October

Harvest and Processing Guide

Harvest and Processing Guide

LEAF is under the fiduciary stewardship of the Arizona Community Tree Council, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

PO Box 65122, Phoenix, Arizona 85082-5122

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

This website and other LEAF Network products shown here was prepared under the Diverse Urban Forest grant, WCG 14-501, administered by the Arizona Community Tree Council. Funds for this project were provided by the Urban and Community Forestry Financial Assistance Program administered through Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management – Urban and Community Forestry Program and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service. In accordance with Federal law and USDA policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability (Not all prohibited basis applies to all programs). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.