Figs are a delicious treat that thrive in warm climates but can also be grown in more temperate regions with a bit of extra care. Here’s how to grow a fig tree in your garden!
About Figs
Figs thrive in areas with long and hot summers (Zones 8 and warmer), though they can also be grown in colder zones if properly insulated from freezing temperatures or grown in containers and brought indoors.
The common fig tree (Ficus carica) is the most popular species of fig for home gardeners because its flowers do not require pollination to yield figs. Many varieties of the common fig tree exist, including hardy cultivars that can be grown outdoors in slightly cooler climates (Zones 6 and 7). Other species of figs either do not produce edible fruit or have very specific pollination requirements (such as needing to be pollinated by a certain type of wasp), making them too much trouble for home gardeners to grow.
Figs can be eaten fresh from the tree, preserved, or used in cooking. Note that figs do not continue ripening after they are picked, so be sure to harvest at the right time!
Reader Comments
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fig tree cuttings
When is it the best time to take cuttings. what sort of medium is best to plant in. I use hormone dust. Any suggestion you make would be appreciated.... Thank you
Fig Tree Beetles
I have these big green wind beetles, devouring my figs, help!
Fig Tree Beetles
Big green winged beetles
Should I eat
We recently moved to a new (different) house that has what we and everyone else who’s seen it has presumed to be a fig tree in the back. The fruit started to grow and they’re just starting to get ripe. They look and smell just like figs. I know this comes off as paranoid, but is there any other type of tree and fruit that is close to a fig that would be dangerous to eat? Another words, how can I be sure they’re figs and are ok to eat not having planted the tree myself?
Identifying Figs
Figs are fairly unique trees, so they should be easy to identify if you know what to look for! First look at the leaf: it should be quite large and have three to five lobes. Then look at the fruit: the color of the ripe fruit depends on the variety, but they may range from lime green to brown to purple. The stems of the fig fruit are fairly thick (not thin, like an apple or pear’s stem). Search in Google for images of fig leaves and see how yours compare. Finally, if you want to be absolutely sure, contact your local state Cooperative Extension Service, which should be able to ID the tree with a photo.
Ants in figs.
I live in D/FW area and have a brown turkey fig tree. Ants invade the fruit at the blossom end. Lately it has stopped, but I think that's because of a little lizard/gecko type thing. If the ants return, any suggestions on how to remedy the situation?
Fig Tree Protection Against Ants
Hi Heather,
If the ants return, try sprinkling diatomaceous earth or broken eggshells around the base of the tree. It’s a simple solution and should cut up the ants as they pass through to climb the tree. We hope this helps!
Question about growing from cutting
Hello! Thanks for the great site and article. My family brought a fig tree over from Italy back in the 1920s. That tree has been moved from house to house until ending up at my mother's house in NJ. She sold her house about a year and a half ago, and we were unable to take the tree with us unfortunately. However, I tried to propagate the tree with multiple fig cuttings. Most failed, but one has survived and is still going. However, the main trunk/stem of the cutting seems to have died a while ago and is not really growing. The surviving part of the main stem comes out about two inches from the dirt and is healthy, and there is one branch growing off that section. This sole branch is growing well, and is probably about two and a half feet long, currently sprouting new growth. It is in a 12 inch diameter pot. My question - is there hope for this tree to grow more than just this one branch? Also, should I do anything with it (bigger pot, plant outside, etc.) I'm afraid to move it outside permanently in case it doesn't work.
Thanks in advance!
a twig of fig
We can always have hope, Michael, but sometimes a backup plan is needed, too. It’s impossible to know if the tree will grow another branch or if this branch will survive…but it does not sound promising—and I share that from experience. You might consider purchasing a new plant, one of some size, and continue the family legacy that way, nearly a century later.
Fig tree
We’ve had a fig tree for three years. Iit’s doing fine except the leaves are yellowish. How do we remedy this?
You could take the one branch
You could take the one branch as a cutting and start fresh, or you could if possible return to the original tree location ask new owners for clippings explaining the heritage of the tree and your family, Im sure they would allow it and also have a bit of knowledge themselves of their fig tree
FIg Tree .. well Twig!
Hi, don't give up on your fig twig just yet. I live in the Canary Islands and had the same problem.. just a single twig that would not seem to grow at all. Then, one day, I bumped into an old lady who had lived on the islands all her life and has the most beautiful garden filled with big healthy trees. She told me that it took 7 years for an old stem to settle ... she actually said ( in Canarian Spanish ) "That the fig needs to decide if it wants to live with you and wants to share its fruits with you". She was right.. almost to the day.. in the 7th spring of me owning the twig.. it started to grow and is now a huge, healthy tree that bears more fruit than we know what to do with. Maybe there is something in old wives tales after all!
grafting a fig tree
I was just wondering if you could graft a branch onto a different rootstock and maybe save it that way?
fig tree from cutting
A friend gave me a fig tree cutting from her Kadota tree for me to plant. It has done well, but the central branch of the cutting died early and two off shoots have grown fantastically. I will soon transplant it to my backyard as it will grow much bigger than the 5-gallon pot it is in, but I worry that the branches only form a V-shape and have no central trunk (except for 2 inches worth that the V is attached to).
Will this cause me problems later? I worry if the branches grow out and get bigger, their weight will eventually break them off. Is there a way to help this? I want to keep this tree as I love figs and it is very healthy otherwise.
No fruit on very old very high yielding fig tree...
My fig tree which is at least 60 years old and usually fruits twice high yielding every year has no fruit. It does not seem to have any disease nor parasite. This is most likely a King or Kadota variety, in the Portland OR area of the United States. What do I do? Help
Pavers and fig roots
I have a semi dwarf turkey fig that is my pride and joy. Planted in full sun. I am considering putting pavers from the trunk out 5 ft around the tree to control weeds. Will this cook the roots and kill the tree?
Pavers
The roots are probably too deep to be affected by warmth from the pavers, however, the bigger issue with pavers is that they could prevent water from reaching all the roots effectively. We would recommend using a porous covering, such as landscaping fabric or a 2-inch layer of bark mulch (or both). This will help to prevent weeds, but also allow water to reach the roots. Mulches will also help to hold moisture in the soil in times of drought.
Black Jack fig tree
Hi there, My black jack fig tree is in its second year with me and was doing really well. I live on the central coast of california. We had a massive wind storm and it got pretty beat up but that has happened before. However my trees leaves seem to be turning brown and dry and falling off? I'm not sure if its fro the wind or something else. Its in maybe a 5 gallon-ish clay pot. It does have some moss that had been planted on top this year, could they be interfering with its root system? Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you!
Fig Tree Leaves Dying
How wet or dry is the soil? Leaves that turn brown, dry up, and fall off suggest that the soil is too dry. Moss doesn’t grow deep enough to directly interfere with the roots, though it will act as a sponge and soak up some of the water that would otherwise go to the fig. If it’s been a dry spring where you are, you may need to be watering the tree by hand as well.
For now, remove some of the moss and feel two to three inches deep into the soil. If the soil is dry, you may want to remove all of the moss and replace it with a layer of bark mulch. This will allow water to flow into the pot but not evaporate too quickly.
Alternatively, the problem could be that the soil is being kept too wet and the roots are rotting. Have you been getting a lot of rain? The moss could be trapping too much moisture in the soil. In any case, you’ll have to do some poking around in the soil to figure out the issue first!
no figs
When I planted my small fig tree it had three tiny figs. The wind blew them off and now I have no figs. I live in Las Vegas Nevada. The tree gets plenty of sun. When might I expect it to produce more figs?
fig crops
It is hard to know, and may depend on the health of the plant, pruning, climate, variety, etc. But if your fig normally produces 2 crops per year, it is possible that some may form later in the season. Some figs produce a breba crop in spring/summer on last year’s growth, and then a main crop later in summer/fall on current year’s growth. Others may produce only a breba or only a main crop.
Although many figs are self-fertile, some require a pollinator to set fruit; fruit will drop early if not pollinated correctly. Be sure to water consistently, and shade in extreme heat. Too much nitrogen can also deter fruiting.
Can fig trees be produced or grown from a cutting
great article on growing figs
hi. I bought a very small fig
hi. I bought a very small fig plant and its grown so much. Yet it started to get its leaves yellowish brown and they started to fall off. My little tree is almost without its leaves. I'm starting to panic a little. What can I do to help it. As of right now it's in a pot. I'm thinking maybe I should plant it already. Any advice?
Hi I bought a very small fig answer
I think you should move it, or you could try the fertilizer mentioned in this article
Thank you. I'm going to do
Thank you. I'm going to do just that. Move my fig tree to the ground and hopefully that helps.
Fig
Hi. I bought a Chicago Hardy. Planted it in a pot and it started to grow just fine then died. A few weeks later I bought another one and it did fine. Several weeks later the first one started new growth at the ground. Both have been growing 2 years now. They are in their 3rd summer in SW Ohio. They come in for the winter.
Figs not producing
My fig tree is around 20 yrs old and for the last two years it has only a tenth of the leaves and "very little" fruit. Do I need to cut it down or is there something I can do to help it out?
Why plant 20 ft away?
I bought a dwarf and a semi dwarf fig tree, why do they need to be planted 20 ft away from structures and other trees? Thanks!
Fig spacing
It’s probably best to check with the grower on the type of fig tree and spacing requirements. For example, the Black Jack Fig is a semi-dwarf tree which grows up to 15 feet tall and 15 feet wide, but can easily be kept to 6 feet with annual pruning. Other semi-dwarfs are larger or smaller.
We’ve often seen fig trees planted in Turkey on the sunniest side of a building. Plant them about 4 feet from the building. Roots of fig trees will not damage masonry foundations of buildings or steel pipe, but they may damage clay sewer pipe. Do not plant fig trees within 25 feet of clay sewer pipe or over septic tank drain fields. If you plant fig trees in a lawn, keep a 2- to 3-foot area around each tree free of grass for à year or two until the tree becomes established.
Big old fig tree in MS
Hi. I need help with a very old fig tree that is growing and growing. Makes tons of really great figs. Only problem is most of the fruit is 20 to 40 feet up the tree and very difficult to harvest. Can I cut the tree back this winter to bring the tree and the fruit closer to Mother Earth? If so how should I go about doing this? I have pictures but don’t see a way to post them here. Thanks
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