Common Name: Fig

General Information

Ficus carica is a small, deciduous shrub or tree with an open, spreading crown, it can grow around 5 - 10 metres tall.
A very popular fruit, widely available for sale in countries around the world. The tree is very widely cultivated in many regions of the world, from warm temperate to tropical, for its fruit[, ].

Known Hazards

The sap and the half-ripe fruits are said to be poisonous[, ]. The sap can be a serious eye irritant[].

Botanical References

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Range

W. Asia - Turkey through to Pakistan; N. Africa - Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia.

Habitat

Amongst rocks, in woods and scrub on hot dry soils.

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	6.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Wasps
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated

Cultivation Details

Figs are plants of temperate and subtropical climates. They do not generally grow well in the wet tropics, but can be grown at higher elevations in the drier to moist tropics[]. The fruits develop best when plants are grown in relatively dry climates where a cool season alternates with a hot season[]. They grow best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 16 - 26°c, but can tolerate a range from 4 - 38°c[]. Dormant plants are hardy to about -15°c[]. The top growth, especially when young, is susceptible to frost damage and can be killed back to the base in severe winters, though plants usually recover well[]. They prefer a mean annual rainfall in the range 700 - 1,500mm, but tolerate 300 - 2,700mm[].
Prefers a very sunny position but tolerates part-day shade when grown on a warm wall[]. Requires a well-drained medium to light loam and some lime rubble incorporated into the soil[]. Succeeds in dry soils. A heavy wet soil tends to encourage excessive plant growth at the expense of fruit production[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, but tolerates 4.3 - 8.6[].
Trees require the protection of a south or west facing wall in cooler parts of the temperate zone if they are to produce a worthwhile crop[, ], though free standing trees can succeed in southwest England[]. There is a small orchard of free-standing trees in Anthony garden near Plymouth. These were seen in July 1995 with a very heavy crop of ripening fruits that would have been ready by August[].
Seedling trees can commence cropping when only 3 - 4 years old, whilst cuttings can start fruiting in only 1 - 2 years[].
Up to three crops of fruit a year can be obtained in some countries[], though generally only one will be obtained in cooler climes except in exceptionally hot years when two crops are sometimes produced. The fruit usually takes about 12 months to mature in temperate regions, baby fruits no larger than about 15mm long in the autumn usually overwinter to form the following years crop of fruit..
'Brown Turkey' is a cultivar that is suitable for cooler climates. 'White Ischia' is a dwarf cultivar (though it can still be 5 metres tall and wide) and is ideal for pot culture[]. It produces an abundance of green-white thin-skinned fruits[].
Trees have been known to live for as long as 200 years[].
There are many named varieties[, ]. There are two primary types of fig:- the Adriatic fig which produces fruit without pollination; and the Symrna fig that require the presents of a fig wasp for pollination[].
It is a good idea to restrict the roots of fig trees on most soil types in order to discourage excessive vegetative growth at the expense of fruit production[]. This can be done by root pruning, but it is easier to place some kind of permanent restriction around the roots - planting into a large tub that is then buried into the ground is one method. It is important to make sure that the tree still gets ample moisture, especially when the fruits are ripening.
Fig trees have a unique form of fertilization, each species relying on a single, highly specialized species of wasp that is itself totaly dependant upon that fig species in order to breed. The trees produce three types of flower; male, a long-styled female and a short-styled female flower, often called the gall flower. All three types of flower are contained within the structure we usually think of as the fruit.
The female fig wasp enters a fig and lays its eggs on the short styled female flowers while pollinating the long styled female flowers. Wingless male fig wasps emerge first, inseminate the emerging females and then bore exit tunnels out of the fig for the winged females. Females emerge, collect pollen from the male flowers and fly off in search of figs whose female flowers are receptive. In order to support a population of its pollinator, individuals of a Ficus spp. must flower asynchronously. A population must exceed a critical minimum size to ensure that at any time of the year at least some plants have overlap of emmission and reception of fig wasps. Without this temporal overlap the short-lived pollinator wasps will go locally extinct[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, , , , ]. Sweet and succulent, a fully ripe specimen is an exquisite fruit that almost literally melts in the mouth[]. The fruit is often dried for later use[] and this dried fruit is a major item of commerce. Figs are usually pear-shaped and up to 5cm in diameter[]. A nutritional analysis is available[].

The latex from the sap can be used to coagulate plant milks[].

Medicinal

A decoction of the leaves is stomachic[]. The leaves are also added to boiling water and used as a steam bath for painful or swollen piles[].

The latex contains the proteolytic enzyme ficin - this has the property of destroying round-worms and, in some instances, hook-worms[]. The enzyme, however, is more or less injurious to the intestine[].
The latex from the stems is used to treat corns, warts and piles[, , ]. It also has an analgesic effect against insect stings and bites[].

The fruit is mildly laxative, demulcent, digestive and pectoral[, , ]. The unripe green fruits are cooked with other foods as a galactagogue and tonic[]. The roasted fruit is emollient and used as a poultice in the treatment of gumboils, dental abscesses etc[].

Syrup of figs, made from the fruit, is a well-known and effective gentle laxative that is also suitable for the young and very old[, ].

A decoction of the young branches is an excellent pectoral[].

The plant has anticancer properties[].

Other Uses

Wood - pliable but porous and of little value[, ]. It is used for hoops, garlands, ornaments etc[]. When saturated with oil and covered with emery is used as a substitute for a hone[].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a warm greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle and overwinter the young plants in a greenhouse for at least their first year. Plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts and give some protection for their first winter outdoors.
Cuttings of mature wood 10 - 12cm with a heel, winter in a frame. Fairly easy, but the cuttings must be kept frost free. It is probably best if the cuttings are put in individual pots[].
Layering.