Fig Trees: Beauty & Bounty For Your Yard
While people often think about planting apple, peach or citrus trees in their yard, fig trees also might be an excellent option to consider. We have many different varieties of fig trees suitable for both large and smaller yards. Not only do our fig trees produce delectable figs, they are quite beautiful and enhance the look of any yard.
It might interest you to know that fig trees are one of the oldest continuously cultivated crops. In fact, fig trees were grown and harvested prior to the growing of wheat crops and these figs were much enjoyed by ancient Greeks and Egyptians. While typically, fig trees grow well and produce a bounty of figs when planted in warmer areas; these also can be grown in greenhouses or in containers, which can be brought indoors during the cold winter months.
If you have a smaller yard, the Chicago Hardy variety of fig trees might be just right for your needs. These can be planted in the ground or grown as container trees and tend to reach a mature height of about 10 to 12 feet with a spread of about 9 feet. These fig trees are quite heat tolerant and are an ideal option for USDA Zones 6, 7 and 8. As with most fig trees, these do prefer well-drained loamy soil, and need plenty of sunlight. These trees should be fertilized once per year and pruned lightly in the late winter months.
Another smaller variety to consider would be our Green Ischia fig trees. These stunning trees, which rarely grow higher than 15 feet, produce a bright, green-skinned fruit with a lovely, sweet pink interior. The green skin of this fig actually keeps the birds away, as they don’t recognize green fruit to be ripe for eating. The Green Ischia can produce two crops per year, especially in warmer locations. This tree is suitable for growing in USDA Zones 7-10 and can be planted or grown in a container.
Our White Marseilles fig trees have an illustrious past, as these trees were grown at Thomas Jefferson’s famed Monticello. These fig trees produce a very sweet fig that typically ripens toward the end of July. Again, this tree is a good choice for a smaller yard, as it typically reaches a height of about 10 to 12 feet. The White Marseilles fig is suitable for USDA Zones 7-10.
The Italian Honey fig trees are another option to consider, and the produce figs that are quite similar in appearance to the White Marseilles figs, although the skin and fruit are a bit lighter in color. The skin has a lovely tart flavor that contrasts nicely to the sweet flesh inside the figs. These fig trees produce well in a climate with hot summers, such as USDA Zones 7-10, and often produce two crops per year. These can be grown in containers and tend to be taller than the Chicago Hardy and White Marseilles fig trees, possibly reaching a height of 15 feet.
Figs can be eaten fresh, dried or preserved and the figs of the Texas Everbearing fig tree are ideal for preserving. This variety of fig tree tends to grow no higher than about 10 feet with a width of about 12 feet, and makes an excellent ornamental bush for just about any yard. These fig trees do prefer the warm summers one finds in USDA Zones 7, 8 and 9.
If you want a larger tree that is quite hardy, the Magnolia fig might be a good option. This tree also is known as the Dalmatian, the Brunswick or the Madonna, but this fig by any other name is just as sweet, and these trees do produce a lovely, deep burgundy fruit that is quite delicious. While the figs are tasty, these fig trees often are grown because of their ornamental beauty. While it is primarily recommended for USDA Zones 7-10, these trees can grow well in areas with a slightly colder winter.
The Brown Turkey fig trees not only possess a whimsical name, they produce two crops of figs each year and you can eat the figs right off the tree. The figs themselves are a beautiful, lush shade of purple with sweet, amber flesh. These can grow to be quite large, from about 15 feet up to 30 feet in height and are best suited to the climates in USDA Zones 7-9.
Our Black Mission fig trees can grow to be quite large, with a mature height ranging from 40 to 60 feet high, so this tree is best suited to a larger yard. The figs from these trees can be eaten fresh, but also are perfect for drying and canning. This tree does need full sun and regular watering, and tends to grow best in USDA Zones 7-10.
In addition to these fig trees, we sell many other fruit-bearing trees. Our selection includes many varieties of apple trees as well as peach trees, olive trees, kiwi trees, pear trees, persimmon trees, plum trees and pomegranate trees.