Fig

Eating Figs

Fresh figs are delicious sun-warmed and fresh off the plant. Ripe figs should be soft to the touch. Because they don’t store well, you’ll want to use these delicacies—whether it’s eating them fresh or drying or freezing them—within a week or so after harvesting.

Many figs will change color as they ripen, but coloration varies between varieties. Take care not to harvest before they’re ripe; unlike many fruits, figs don’t ripen any more once picked. You’ll find figs that aren’t fully ripe don’t have a rich, sweet flavor and may have an unappealing dry, rubbery texture.

Fig Plant Care

Native to Mediterranean regions, figs like a warm, sunny spot with moist, well-drained soil that’s rich in organic matter. If your ground has a high sand or clay content, keep your figs healthy and most productive by amending the soil liberally with organic matter—such as compost, peat, or coconut coir—at planting time, and then topdressing the soil with a 1- to 2-inch-deep layer of organic matter each fall.

If you wish to prune your fig to keep it at a smaller size, the best time is in winter when the plant is dormant and leafless. To keep your fig most productive, remove any offshoots, called suckers, that develop at the base of the plant, as well as any dead or diseased growth. Pruning the main branches back by about a quarter in winter helps ensure you get higher-quality fruit the next year.

If you live in Zones 6 or 7, be sure you select an extra-hardy fig variety. You want to protect your figs from below-average temperatures by wrapping them in burlap and filling the burlap with leaves or pine needles. Alternatively, you can grow figs in large containers, moving them to a protected spot like a garage or shed over winter.

Varieties of Fig

‘Alma’ fig

Ficus carica ‘Alma’ produces fruit with a rich, sweet flavor. The vigorous tree is very productive and begins bearing fruit at an early age. It grows to 10 feet tall and wide. Zones 7-9

‘Brown Turkey’ fig

This variety is a small, vigorous tree that produces fruit with purple-brown skin and pink flesh. It grows to 10 feet tall and wide. Zones 7-9

‘Genoa’ fig

Ficus carica ‘Genoa’ produces very sweet fruit that is good fresh or dried. The upright tree requires constant pruning for good fruit set. It grows to 10 feet tall and wide. Zones 7-9

‘LSU Gold’ fig

This cultivar produces large, yellow fruit with red flesh. The fruits’ outstanding sweet flavor makes this a popular cultivar. It grows to 10 feet tall and wide. Zones 8-9

‘Mission’ fig

Ficus carica ‘Mission’ bears purple fruit with pink flesh. This large tree is adaptable and one of the easiest to grow. It grows to 10 feet tall and wide. Zones 7-9

‘Panachee’ fig

This variety produces small to medium fruits with green-yellow skin. The flesh is strawberry in color. The sweet, dry fruits require a long ripening season. It grows to 10 feet tall and wide. Zones 8-9