Fig Trees
Fig Trees
Ficus carica
We have partnered with the wonderful folks at Tropic of Canada to offer you unique varieties of hardy figs, which can be grown in containers, or directly in the ground in zone 6 (some sources say these figs are even hardy to zone 4 with sufficient winter protection - but that requires some research on your behalf to properly protect your plants!) with a heavy mulch to help insulate the plants. We have found the tops tend to die back at our location, so for reliable cropping we highly recommend growing figs in containers. However there are many Youtube videos and this excellent book to help you on your journey to growing figs in your backyard!
What is 'breba'?
Breba crops are much like everbearing raspberries, where fruit is produced on the previous year's growth. This results in a crop early in summer followed by the main crop in early fall. Breba means second crop even though it comes first in the growing season and it often is smaller is quantity and size than the main crop. When pruning your figs, it's important to remember that if your variety produces a breba crop, you want to only prune out 2+ year old wood or you risk pruning out your breba crop.
We offer flat-rate shipping across Canada* on all our Fig Trees, as well as a wide selection of other fruit trees for Canadian climates. Shop quality heritage fruit trees and hard to find plants delivered conveniently to your door!
11 products
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11 products
11 products
History: The origins of Beer's Black are a mystery, but the excellent fruit proves why it continues to be a popular variety today!
Why We Grow It: Beer's Black produces medium figs with dark violet skin and magenta flesh that are quite sweet. They are excellent for eating fresh or drying!
History: We have a collective of Franciscan missionaries to thank for this variety, when they started it in San Diego in 1768. Over the years, it became the favored fig to grow in California, including sweeping through the commercial orchards.
Why We Grow It: Excellent quality fig, with good production! Black skin, sweet strawberry-red flesh, with distinct flavour.
History: Some sources claim this fig hails from 1980's Chicago, however it seems more likely to have originated in Mount Etna, Italy. In any case, due to it's hardy nature it's become one of the most common varieties grown in North America.
Why We Grow It: Chicago Hardy is considered one of the most reliably hardy figs for North America. Add to that their excellent sweet, juicy flavour and it's a no-brainer why these figs have become so popular. Skin is purply-blue-bronze, with soft jammy flesh and a sweet flavour with notes of honey. These figs are medium in size, weighing around 35g.
Photos used with permission from http://planetfig.com/cultivars/fcveng8623.html.
History: Fignomenal originated as a spontaneous mutation on a Chicago Hardy fig. It likely originated in Italy although exact details are uncertain.
Why We Grow It: Fignomenal is a compact and relatively low maintenance variety which makes it ideal for indoor/container growing. It produces an abundant crop of medium-sized figs with deep brown skin and pink flesh that are quite sweet.
History: Although we do not know for sure, it is likely we carry the Green or White Ischia fig (there has historically been a lot of confusion between the two!). Ischia figs were introduced to the English-speaking world by Philip Miller in his book The Gardeners Dictionary (note: it uses the old English spelling "ifchia"), the first edition of which was published in 1731. He allegedly claimed that several fig varieties he brought to England were from the Italian island Ischia although some say he may have lost or destroyed the original labels on some Italian figs and simply named them after different islands. Regardless, the Ischia figs have been popular in Europe for centuries and are still grown today.
Why We Grow It: Ischia has greenish-yellow skin which makes it less appealing to birds while on the tree! Despite its rather unassuming exterior, these figs contain vibrant red flesh with an excellent, rich flavour - try peeling it and adding it to all manner of salads! It is known to be a very productive variety and due to its compact growth it is ideal for container growing.
History: AKA Italian Honey fig.
Why We Grow It: Very large, sweet, yellow figs with a long neck and honey coloured flesh. When picked at peak ripeness, the flavour and texture are unsurpassed. Not only does this variety have an exquisite flavour, it's compact growth (container friendly), strong breba cropping habit, and adaptability to cool or warm summers make it an excellent choice for the backyard grower.
History: Discovered in Olympia, Washington by Denny McGaughy in 2014, this variety doesn't match any of the 200+ registered varieties in the Department of Agriculture's National Clonal Germplasm Repository, making Olympian figs true age unknown, and quite possibly heirloom despite its recent popularity.
Why We Grow It: Large purple-red figs have excellent flavour, reminiscent of peaches! Very vigorous and productive, producing a strong breba crop on the pervious seasons growth.
History: Texas Everbearing figs were likely developed in Texas in the 1950s although there are little details available regarding their origin. It is most likely named for its two sizable crops and state of origin.
Why We Grow It: Texas Everbearing produces large, brownish-yellow, bell-shaped figs with sweet seedless flesh the colour of strawberries. This is a good option for cooler areas, it tends to produce well even in a cooler, shorter summer and it is said to fruit again the same year it is frozen to the ground. It produces two crops, a sizable first crop and larger breba crop that matures early.
History: Discovered around the 1680s in Versailles, France, though thought to originate in Spain.
Why We Grow It: Deep purple-black skin over dark red, with very rich sweet flesh - one of the best tasting varieties around! The flavour intensifies if let to dry/shrivel slightly on the tree. Adaptable, excellent cropper and flavour, and a great choice for backyard growers.
History: One of Thomas Jefferson's favourites, the origin of this fig is a mystery; one old account claims it was planted during the rule of Henry the Eighth by Cardinal Pole, while another claims it was planted at the Archbishop of Canterbury's palace at Lambeth. Regardless, this fig has certainly stood the test of time, and with good reason!
Why We Grow It: White Marseilles produces small, green-white figs with excellent aromatic flavour and a firm yet melting texture. Delicious! This variety grows well in a container too.
Photo courtesy of figdatabase.com
History: Yellow Long Neck, aka Honey Fig, was discovered growing at the San Diego Botanic Gardens although there are little details on its origins. Some say it came from the University of California Riverside Fig Breeding Program which began in the early 1900s.
Why We Grow It: Yellow Long Neck produces medium to large fruit with a bright yellow colour. True to their other name, Honey Fig, the fruit has a deliciously sweet flavour. It is excellent straight off the tree but can also be used to make great jams and pies. The tree itself is quite vigorous and will still produce fruit in the same year where the tree dies back to the ground during the winter.