Last updated on November 19th, 2022 at 10:53 am
Fruit Fig Trees for your backyard landscape.
Did you know fruiting figs in the right conditions can live up to 200 years? The fig fruit will typically ripen from August to late October depending on the cultivar and climate. Most trees come in 5 Ga. containers. They are deciduous and do give out some shade. The fruit can be eaten right off the tree or dried up.
They are not drought tolerant so they will require regular watering even after they are well established. However. Once they reach the age of 4-5 years you can cut back to about 2-3 times per week during the hot summer months.
Fig Tree Types
There are many types of fig trees the common ones that do well in and around the Southwest.
Peter’s Honey Fig A very sweet-tasting fruit. It does well in full sun but even better with a little shade in the late afternoon. A greenish-yellow fruit will produce this fruit every year.
Brown Mission Fig (Ficus Carica) Grows to about 25 ft. tall with dense foliage. Well adapted to the Southwest sun. It will beat fruit in mid-to-late summer. Water 2-3 times per week after it has been established usually around the 3rd year. More often during the first 1-2 years after planting.
Brown Turkey Fig (Ficus Carica) – A great fruit fig tree for the Southwest if planted in the right location. It can tolerate heat if planted in the morning sun and late afternoon shade. Produces a very good-tasting brownish-purple fruit. Fruit can be harvested in mid-summer. It will grow to about 15-or 20 ft. tall and wide. Perfect for a small backyard.
Large Fig Tree with loads of Figs.
The USDA Zone for Fig Trees is 8 – 10
Growing Fig Trees
One thing you may want to watch for is the Alternaria rot fungus. Usually occurs where there is lots of rainfall or the landscape is consistently wet. Green specks and yellow lesions on the fruit is a sure signs of this fungus. Spider mites will also attack this fruit tree spraying with a good spider mite insecticide will work. Go organic and use neem oil to kill these pests. Learn more about insects and diseases on plants.
Planting fig trees are the same as most fruit or ornamental trees. Here are some great tree-planting tips.
Learn more about Fruiting figs right here. What you need to know about Figs.
