Tree · Moraceae
Common Fig
Ficus carica
Hand it full sun and steady summer water, and a fig will keep you in sweet fruit for years.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
50–95°F · 10–35°C
USDA 7–10
Overview
Not many backyard trees give back like a fig does. It's a deciduous member of the mulberry family with big, lobed leaves, and folks have been growing it around the Mediterranean for thousands of years. The best part? It's forgiving and fast, going from a little cutting to a fruiting tree in just a few seasons.
What really makes a fig easy is the harvest. The kinds people grow at home set fruit all on their own, so there's no pollinator to worry about and no fuss, and a single tree fills baskets. They grow fast and large too, spreading 10 to 30 feet across in open ground, though a pot will keep one small enough for a patio if that's all the room you've got.
The one thing to keep in mind is the sap. Break a leaf or stem and you'll see a milky, irritant sap that can sting bare skin and bug your pets. The good news is the ripe fruit is totally safe to eat, so it really just comes down to gloves at pruning time and putting the tree somewhere the dog can't get to.
Care
The short version: pop a fig into full sun and rich, well-drained soil, water it deeply all season but never let things get soggy, prune it in late winter, and feed it from spring into early summer.
Light
A fig wants full sun, and the more it gets, the sweeter the fruit and the healthier the tree. It'll put up with a little partial shade, sure, but you'll get a smaller, later crop in return.
Water
Water it deeply and regularly all through the growing and fruiting season, because figs need steady moisture to plump up their fruit and keep it on the branch. What they won't put up with is soggy, waterlogged soil, so let the top inch or so dry out between drinks. And a layer of mulch? That keeps the moisture even and cuts down on fruit drop.
Soil
Go with rich, well-drained loam that stays moist but never wet. Figs like a pH from 6.0 to 7.0 and aren't fans of alkaline ground, so work in plenty of organic matter before you plant.
Temperature
Figs love the warmth, and they do best between 50°F and 95°F (10°C to 35°C). They're happiest in mild zones, and in colder spots the top can die back even though the roots usually pull through.
Humidity
Regular outdoor air is plenty for a fig, somewhere around 40% to 60%. What matters way more than any humidity number is good airflow through the canopy, since crowded, damp leaves are basically an invitation for rust.
Feeding
Feed it from spring through midsummer, roughly April to July, with a balanced granular fertilizer like 8-8-8 or 10-10-10. Then ease off by late summer so the tree isn't pushing soft new growth into winter, and go lighter on the rates in colder zones to firm the wood up for the cold.
Pruning
Prune in late winter while the tree's still dormant. Cut out the dead wood and thin it to an open, bushy shape, taking up to a third or half of last year's growth to get it branching, and don't leave stubs. Just remember fruit forms on new wood, so go light enough to keep the crop that's coming.
Repotting
A potted fig likes a fresh start every 2 to 3 years. Swap in new soil and trim the roots when you spot them circling the pot or poking out the drainage holes, or when the soil dries out almost the second you water it.
Size & spacing
Out in the open, a fig grows fast and gets big, anywhere from 10 to 30 feet (3 to 9 m) tall and about as wide. So give it that kind of room away from buildings and other trees, or keep it smaller in a big pot.
When to plant
Figs are warm-weather trees, and they really want a long, hot stretch to sweeten up. So set young plants outside in late winter or early spring once the hard frosts are done, and the main crop shows up from late summer into fall.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Late winter to early spring once hard-frost danger passes, using dormant bare-root or container plants
- Harvest: Main crop ripens late summer into fall (about July to October); the tiny flowers are hidden inside the fruit and are not showy
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 7–10
Temperature: down to -18°C
Troubleshooting
Honestly, a fig isn't a fussy tree, and when something does go sideways it's usually the roots, the leaves, or the fruit that's ripening. Spot the signs below early and the fix is often just a bit of cleanup. So take a look, figure out which one matches, and sort it before it settles in.
Struggling tree with lumpy bumps along its roots
Dug up a sad-looking fig and found knobby swellings along the roots? That's root-knot nematodes, and they show up most in sandy ground that's had the pest before. Here's the tough part: there's no chemical cure once they dig in. So pull and destroy the worst plants, replant with clean stock in fresh soil, and mulch heavily to keep whatever roots are left going strong.
Fix:
- Remove and destroy severely infected plants
- Replant with clean or container-grown stock in fresh, nematode-free soil
- Mulch heavily and water well to support remaining root vigor
Leaves getting brownish spots and dropping early come late summer
Those yellow-brown spots with rusty pustules underneath? That's fig rust, a fungus. It hardly ever kills a fig, but a bad year can strip the canopy early. So rake up the fallen leaves and destroy them to get rid of the spores, thin the branches so air can move through, and only spray a labeled fungicide if it keeps coming back hard year after year.
Fix:
- Rake up and destroy fallen leaves to remove spores
- Thin the canopy to improve air circulation
- Apply a labeled fungicide only if damaging epidemics recur yearly
Fruit turning weepy with a sour, boozy smell
When ripening figs start to ferment and smell sour or boozy, that's souring, and it happens because yeasts hitch a ride on insects that slip in through the open eye at the bottom of the fruit. So pick your figs the moment they're ripe and clear away anything that's already gone off. And growing a tight- or closed-eye type like Celeste? That shuts the door on most of the trouble.
Fix:
- Harvest fruit promptly as it ripens
- Remove and dispose of spoiled fruit
- Grow closed- or tight-eye cultivars such as Celeste
Toxicity
The ripe figs? Totally yours to eat. The rest of the tree, not so much. Snap a leaf or stem and out comes a milky sap with ficin and psoralens in it, and that stuff irritates the mouth, gut, and skin. So keep pets from chewing the leaves, and throw on gloves and long sleeves before you prune, because the sap can actually blister skin in the sun.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Safe for
People
Cats Mild
A cat that chews on the leaves or stems will drool and maybe throw up, with a sore, irritated mouth. And if the sap gets on its skin? That can leave a red, itchy rash.
Dogs Mild
Keep an eye out for drooling, an upset stomach, and pawing at the mouth after a dog gnaws on a leaf or stem. The sap can redden and inflame the skin wherever it touches, too.
Horses Mild
That same milky sap irritates a horse's mouth and gut, so you'll see drooling and a touch of colic if it eats the leaves or stems.
Rabbits Caution
There's really no reason to let a rabbit near the foliage, since the irritant sap is just as rough on its mouth and gut as anyone else's. Keep the leaves and stems out of reach.
Livestock Caution
Grazing animals usually leave figs alone, but the sap in the leaves and stems can still upset the mouth and stomach, so it's best kept off the menu.
Birds Caution
Birds can peck at ripe fruit without any trouble, but those sappy leaves and stems are an irritant they're better off avoiding.
People Ripe fruit safe
Ripe figs are a treat and totally safe to eat. The catch is the sap from the leaves and stems, which can burn skin and turn into a blistering rash in sunlight, so wear gloves and long sleeves when you prune.
Wear gloves when pruning, as the sap can irritate skin and, combined with sunlight, cause photodermatitis.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
There are hundreds of figs out there, but only a handful really earn a spot in most yards, whether that's for sweetness, for being dependable, or for sheer toughness. Here are the ones worth knowing.
Celeste
Celeste is a small, sweet fig with a closed eye that keeps souring organisms out, and it handles cold better than most common types, which is a nice bonus.
Brown Turkey
Brown Turkey is a vigorous, dependable producer of large fruit grown all over the Southeast, and you'll sometimes see it sold as Texas Everbearing.
Chicago Hardy
Chicago Hardy is about as tough as figs get, since its roots ride out hard freezes and push fresh growth from the base even when the top dies back.
How to propagate
Want more figs for free? You're in luck, because few fruit trees are this easy to multiply, and one plant gives you a few different ways to go about it.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Late winter to early spring, using 8 to 10 inch dormant cuttings of one-year-old wood · About one growing season before transplanting in fall
This is the easy one to start with. Take 8 to 10 inch dormant cuttings of one-year-old wood in late winter or early spring, and just push them into soil so one or two buds sit above the surface. Figs root really willingly from hardwood, and the young plants are ready to move come fall, after about a season's growth.
LayeringEasy
Spring to summer · About one growing season
Why not let the plant do the work? From spring through summer, pin a low branch down and mound soil over it, or just dig up one of the rooted suckers the tree throws and replant that. Either way you've got a new fig in roughly a season.
Air layeringModerate
Late spring to summer on semi-hardwood shoots · Several weeks to root, then pot up
Go this route when you want a bigger, further-along plant right off the bat. Wound a semi-hardwood shoot in late spring or summer, wrap the spot in damp moss, and roots form over several weeks before you cut it free and pot it up.
Myths
Figs won't fruit at all without their special wasp.
Nope, the common figs people grow at home set fruit on their own, no pollination needed at all. Only Smyrna, San Pedro, and caprifig types lean on the fig wasp, and that insect can't even survive across most of the US. So plant a common type and you'll get figs.
Since pets can't have the plant, the fruit's got to be dangerous as well.
Not true at all. Ripe figs are perfectly safe for people to eat. The real troublemaker is the milky, irritating sap that runs through the foliage and stems, and that sap isn't what ends up on your plate.