Skip to main content

Fig Trees


Fig (Ficus carica) is grown for its edible fruit. Figs grow quickly to about 8’ – 10’ tall and wide in our climate. Usually grows as a multi-trunked small tree or large shrub due to winter freeze injury. Fig trees have thick, smooth, gray trunks which provide additional interest especially in winter. Shade is dense and dark under a fig tree as leaves are large, usually 4” – 8” long and wide.


A Fig tree will grow in most soils and needs regular water for best growth and fruit production. Hardiness differs amongst varieties so choose one suited to your climatic zone.  In our climate ensure fig trees are planted in full sun. They can benefit from planting near a south facing wall.

Due to our cold temperatures fig trees are best protected during winter. Place a chicken wire circle around your tree and fill it with straw to insulate over winter. This will sometimes be sufficient insulation to reduce winter freeze damage of stems during its first couple years. Fig trees that have over-wintered for several seasons tolerate the cold better than new plantings.

Trees That Please Nursery currently has two fig varieties available that are suited for our climate.


Improved Brown Turkey Fig

Improved Brown Turkey Fig is a very large brownish purple fig with a light pink flesh. This fig has a sweet, rich flavor and usually produces two crops each year. Improved Brown Turkey Fig is self-fertile and hardy to USDA zone 7.
 
 
 
Chicago Hardy Fig

Chicago Hardy is a small to medium black fig with a sweet, very rich flavor. This fig tree was grown in Chicago and protected every winter and it fruited yearly. One year, it was unprotected during winter and froze to the ground. The plant then regrew from its base and produced a crop that year. Chicago Hardy Fig is self-fertile and hardy to USDA zone 6.

 
Contact Trees That Please Nursery for more information, availability, and pricing.

Photos & Narrative By:
Stephen Sain
Staff Plant Physiologist

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Weed Identification: Goatheads or Stickers

Goatheads ( Tribulus terrestris ) are native to Southern Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. Goatheads are also called stickers, sticker weed, bullhead, devil’s weed, and puncturevine. Goatheads are easily recognized by their prostrate growth form, leaves with leaflets, yellow flowers, and stickers (Goatheads). If you miss’em visually then they will stab you painfully in the fingers as you work your garden, or stick to your clothing and shoes. Goatheads are the primary reason local bicyclists must get “thorn proof” tires for riding on area trails and streets. Goatheads have prostrate stems that radiate outward from one central point. Leaves are compound with smaller leaflets. Lemon yellow flowers form along the stems and fertilized flowers form fruits.   Fruits consist of several attached structures called nutlets (Goatheads). Each nutlet is a single seed that becomes hard or woody when mature. Each seed has two sharp spines that easily penetrat
1 comment
Read more

Weed Identification: Sand Bur

Sand Bur ( Cenchrus longispinus ) is native to North America. It has other names like sand spur, long-spined sand bur, hedgehog grass, and bur grass . Sand Bur is an annual grass usually growing with a prostrate growth form. It is similar in appearance to other grasses prior to seed formation. Individual plants may be 3’ in diameter, sometimes larger. Sand Bur is a common weed of sandy soils but also grows well elsewhere. Sand Bur will often root at stem nodes that are touching the ground. The root system of Sand Bur is shallow and fibrous making them easily pulled (when immature). Sand Bur produces a flowering spike. As seeds begin to form Sand Bur is easily recognized by its numerous sharp or burred seeds or long spines. As the burred seeds mature they are easily separated from the mother plant and their sharp spines stick to virtually anything. Sand Bur can disseminate its seeds long distances because its sharp spines will hitch a ride on skin, animal hides,
5 comments
Read more

Mulberry Tree

The Mulberry tree ( Morus alba ) is also known as white mulberry. Mulberry trees are fast growing, deciduous trees that are native to China. Mulberry trees can reach 25’-30’ tall and 35’-40’ wide, or larger. Fruitless mulberry or male trees are generally considered more desirable than the female or fruit bearing trees. However, fruitless mulberry trees are prolific pollen producers and are banned in some communities because of allergen potential. Mulberries can grow 4’-6’ per year producing a tree canopy that is more wide than tall. Where water is not limiting, mulberries make great shade trees producing a deep, dark, shade canopy. Leaves are large and sometimes variable in shape. A few strategically planted mulberries can shade an entire yard. The female mulberry tree produces abundant sweet fruit that resemble blackberries. Female trees are very messy because of fruit drop so plant them away from sidewalks, driveways, and the house. Mulbe
Post a Comment
Read more