Figs are an important commercial fruit crop.
Fig trees (Ficus carica) are native to Western Asia. They have been cultivated for thousands of years; neolithic sites dating to 5000 B.C. have yielded ancient fruit remnants. Fig trees are widely cultivated in warm climates around the world. Does this Spark an idea?
Identification
Fig trees usually grow between 10 and 30 feet tall, but they can reach heights up to 50 feet. They have shallow, spreading roots, multiple spreading branches and large bright-green palmate leaves, or leaves that are shaped like the palm of a hand, with between five and seven lobes. Fig trees produce specialized "fruits" called synconiums; the plant's flower is enclosed within the inside wall of the fruit. Common fig trees produce female flowers that do not require pollination, but tiny wasps pollinate other varieties such as the caprifig, Smyrna and San Pedro fig species.
Types
A number of fig cultivars are commonly planted in the United States. Black Mission, a type of tree from the Balearic Islands, produces elongated black fruits with pink or reddish flesh. Brown Turkey figs are native to Provence, France. Their fruit has brownish-purple skin and pinkish- or amber-colored flesh, while Kadota fig trees produce fruits with yellowish-green skin and amber flesh. Other cultivars including the Celeste, Croisic and Adriatic varieties are also available.
Considerations
The California Rare Fruit Growers website warns against planting figs in small places because of their wide, spreading crowns and roots. Pruning fig trees is not recommended because it limits their crop size. They require full sunlight and well-drained soil. Figs are susceptible to damage from small roundworms in the soil called nematodes that feed on roots. They are also vulnerable to fungal infections such as botrytis blight and cercospora leaf spot.
Tags: trees produce, fruits with, They have