Growing the ‘Kadota’ Fig

Size and Appearance

The ‘Kadota’ Fig tree is a fast-growing small deciduous tree that reaches 15 or 20 feet in height, and a few feet less in width. The bark on younger stems is smooth and gray, and figs have relatively thick branches, giving them a unique winter profile. The large leaves can be 10 inches across, and although they have 3 lobes, or sometimes 5, they are very full and round, not divided as deeply as most other fig leaves are. The leaves are edible too, and they make great food wrappers – try some salmon on the barbeque!

This fig produces a reliable and valuable breba crop in early summer. These are fruits that form as tiny buds late in the year before, and then ripen on the older branches the next year, while new stems are also growing. Those new stems also produce a crop of figs which ripens in very late summer and into the fall. In cooler zones, the breba crop may be lost over winter or in cold springs, but it always produces a reliable main crop.

The fruit is almost spherical, with an extremely short neck, and medium-sized. Immature fruits are dark green and as they mature and ripen the skin turns more yellow – a signal that harvest time is approaching. Wait until the color is uniformly yellow, and the fruit feels soft, before harvesting – for the best flavors it is important to have fully ripe fruit. If white sap comes from the stem after you break of a fruit, it isn’t fully ripe yet. When you cut open the fruit you will see the beautiful dark amber flesh inside, sometimes with a pink tint. This is one of the sweetest figs around – perfect for children and those of us with a sweet tooth. It is also known for the complete or near-absence of those crunchy seeds that sometimes make fig eating less enjoyable – instead you have smooth, delicious flesh all the way through. Aromatic, fragrant, with a perfect background tang, and oozing juice, nothing on the planet beats the pleasure of eating ripe figs straight from the tree – even the best store-bought can’t compare. This variety is also popular for drying and canning..

Using the ‘Kadota’ Fig in Your Garden

When planting, allow enough room for the full development of your tree, and plant at least 8 feet away from walls, tall fences, and property lines. This handsome tree looks great out on a lawn, or filling a sunny corner of your yard.

Hardiness

The ‘Kadota’ Fig grows across a large area, from zone 7 right into zone 10. It is recommended for areas with hot summers that are not too dry, as this tree needs a little more water than many others, or the fruit will be rubbery and dry.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun is always best for any fig tree, and the ‘Kadota’ Fig is no exception to that rule. In very hot zones it will take an hour or two of shade each day with little effect, but too much shade will soon stop it from fruiting. It thrives in any well-drained soil, and that includes sandy and rocky soils too. It isn’t advised to add organic material when planting, or use mulch, as warmth is important for this tree to ripen its crops.

Maintenance and Pruning

The ‘Kadota’ Fig tree doesn’t normally suffer from any pests or diseases. The fruit has a relatively large ‘eye’, the opening at the bottom. In some varieties this allows insects to enter, spoiling the fruit as it ripens. This variety has a plug of resin in the eye, so you don’t have to seal it with tape or other tricks that growers sometimes use. Water newly-planted trees regularly. This variety is unusual in needing regular watering even when mature. Unlike what is seen in other varieties, this won’t damage the development of the fruit. Soak deeply and thoroughly every week or two during hot weather, and don’t let trees become too dry, or the fruit will be dry too.

History and Origin of the ‘Kadota’ Fig

The fig tree, Ficus carica, has been grown by humans longer than just about any other fruit. For thousands of years people all around the Mediterranean, from Spain to Greece and the Middle East, have been growing trees and selecting different varieties. The variety called ‘Kadota’ is closely related to a very old Italian variety called ‘Dottato’. In the 1890s a certain Mr. Way in California had an orchard of ‘Dottato’ trees. Among them he found one tree that was more vigorous, faster growing and more productive. In 1898 Stephen H. Taft, of Sawtelle, a suburb of Los Angeles, obtained some cuttings, and named the tree ‘Kadota’. Because it was self-fertile it became the dominant commercial tree for orchards in California. After the introduction of the fig wasp which pollinates figs, the variety ‘Calimyrna’ gradually became the dominant commercial variety.

Buying the ‘Kadota’ Fig at the Tree Center

Don’t be fooled by the light-colored skin – the ‘Kadota’ Fig is wonderful eating, and that delicious flesh and sweet flavor will enchant you. Order now – this classic heirloom variety is not widely produced, and our stock is very limited.

Growing the Blue Giant Fig

Size and Appearance

The Blue Giant Fig tree grows rapidly into a large bush or small tree about 15 feet tall and wide. It is fast-growing, and can easily give you the first figs in the second year of growth in your garden. The smooth gray bark on younger stems becomes browner and rougher as they age, and new growth is often green while young. The leaves are large, about 10 inches across, with three broad lobes and the leaf has a more rounded, fuller profile than many other varieties do. This is a main crop fig tree that is self-fertile, so it normally produces a single crop in a year, in late summer and into the fall. In mild areas, fruit production can continue late into the year. Fruits develop along the new growth that sprouted in spring.

The fruit is probably the largest of any variety, and can easily be the size of an apple, with a rounded, oval or teardrop form and almost no neck. The skin is green when immature, turning purple as it begins to ripen, often with a white, powdery coating that makes it look bluish. The flesh inside is amber brown to purple. For the best flavors, make sure your fruits are fully ripened before harvesting. As the neck is thick, it won’t show the normal softening that indicates ripeness, so wait until some cracks develop in the skin – now it’s time to pick that delicious fruit, sit back and enjoy a taste of heaven. In very warm areas with frost-free winters this tree may also develop an early, breba crop from fruits carried through the winter, but this is not a reliable feature of this variety.

Using the Blue Giant Fig in Your Garden

Plant the Blue Giant Fig in a sheltered spot in full sun, for best results. With its attractive foliage and rounded form, it is perfect as a lawn specimen, or planted in a corner, allowing enough room for it to develop. Grow it on a rocky slope, or in the dry soil at the foot of a wall.

Hardiness

The Blue Giant Fig is a warm-region fig, suitable for growing in zones 8, 9, and 10. If you live in colder areas, check out some of our more cold-hardy varieties, such as ‘Chicago Hardy’.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

For best results, plant the Blue Giant Fig in full sun, although in zone 10 it would grow well even with a couple of hours of shade each day. The ideal soil is very well-drained, and it grows well even in poor soils and dry areas. It is drought-resistant, but if you see any yellowing or drooping leaves, water deeply and thoroughly.

Maintenance and Pruning

You won’t normally see pests or diseases on your Blue Giant Fig tree, and it is fast-growing and easy to grow. Fertilizer isn’t needed, and in fact too much watering and feeding will reduce, not increase, the crop. Pruning isn’t needed either, but you can pinch out the tips of any long, unbranched stems to encourage more side branches, which in turn means more fruit.

History and Origin of the Blue Giant Fig

Humans have been growing the fig tree, Ficus carica, for thousands of years, and probably picking the fruit from wild trees for millennia before that. In America, Texas has always been a popular fig-growing area, with the long, hot, and dry summers many varieties grow best in. Eddie Fanick was born in 1902, and after spending time delivering milk from a mule and wagon, and growing plants on the roof of the San Antonio Arsenal to camouflage it from enemy bombing, he opened Fanick’s Garden Center in San Antonio in 1946. It was always a funky, family-run business, but Eddie was a keen plant-grower and created many new plants. It isn’t clear when he selected the fig variety known as Blue Giant, but he certainly made a big impression with this great tree.

Buying the Blue Giant Fig at the Tree Center

There is more to ‘big’ than size, and the Blue Giant Fig has much more than that. It’s delicious flavor, sweetness and heavy production make it a great choice, so order now. We can never keep our fig varieties in stock, so don’t hesitate or they will all be gone.

The Italian Everbearing Fig tree fulfills the promise by giving you two full crops a year, and the delicious fruits have the classic purple-maroon skin and strawberry-jam interior, on a fig that is remarkably large, and so extra delicious. It’s perfect for areas with hot, dry summers and mild winters, where you have the best chance of fully enjoying both of its delicious crops. With a reliable main crop, it is also excellent for places with cold winters and hot summers, where you can expect a heavy main crop in early fall.

Growing the Italian Everbearing Fig

Size and Appearance

The Italian Everbearing Fig is a deciduous tree of moderate size, growing rapidly to around 15 feet tall and wide. It usually forms a broad bush, rather than becoming tree-like. The large leaves are 9 or 10 inches across, and they are divided into 3, or sometimes 5, large rounded lobes. The stems have smooth, gray bark and large winter buds. The first, breba crop can be seen as tiny buds that develop in late fall. These hold through the winter, if it isn’t too cold, or wet and windy in spring, and rapidly develop once warm weather comes into a large crop of medium-sized fruits. They begin to ripen by the end of May, or through June, over a period of about 3 weeks. The oval to round green fruits turn purple, and when fully ripe the short neck softens and the fruit sags on the branch. That is the moment to pick it, and when you slice it in half you will see the delicious rich-red center. This is a self-pollinating variety and the fruit has no seeds – tasty, juicy and soft all the way through.

While the breba crop is ripening, the main crop is developing on the new growth of the year. Figs grow singly or in clusters up the branches, and by September or into October they will be fully ripened. The fruit of this tree is similar to the popular variety Brown Turkey, but larger, and this really show in the huge main crop fruits you can harvest, even sweeter than the breba crop.

Using the Italian Everbearing Fig in Your Garden

Grow the Italian Everbearing Fig as an ornamental tree on your lawn. The leaves are gorgeous, and they are ideal for wrapping fish in before placing it on the barbeque. Grow it in the sunny corner of your yard, or plant it against a south-facing wall. This technique is especially useful in zone 7, where spreading the branches out across the wall will keep it warmer in winter, giving a better chance of an early crop, as well as helping ripen the fall crop successfully.

Hardiness

Not as hardy as the ‘Chicago Hardy’ Fig, the Italian Everbearing Fig tree is ideal for zones 7 to 10, thriving in hot, dry summers and mild winters, but also doing well with colder winters if the summers are hot.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun is always best for fig trees, and the Italian Everbearing Fig is no exception to that rule. In hot zones it will still grow happily with an hour or two of shade each day. All well-drained soils are suitable, even poor, sandy, stony or gravel soils – which actually tend to improve fruiting. Don’t add organic material when planting, and don’t mulch.

Maintenance and Pruning

Pests or diseases are never problems, and this tree is very easy to grow. Water regularly until established, and then only if the leaves begin to yellow or immature fruits start dropping. If that happens, soak deeply with plenty of water. Pruning is normally not needed.

History and Origin of the Italian EverbearingFig

The fig tree, Ficus carica, is one of the oldest plants cultivated by humans. It has been grown for thousands of years, mostly around the Mediterranean, particularly in Spain, Italy, and the Middle East. Many of the varieties grown in America came over as bundles of sticks in the luggage of immigrants, and you might think this sounds true of the variety called Italian Everbearing. However it seems this plant came via England. The first plants in America were among the fig tree collection of John Rock. He was a German-born nurseryman in California, and prominent in fruit growing between 1865 and 1904. In 1901 he imported trees that included Italian Everbearing from the nursery of Thomas Rivers and Son in England – also an important grower in the development of fruit trees of many kinds. It is likely that Rivers had obtained this plant from a source in Italy.

Buying the Italian Everbearing Fig at the Tree Center

We love having wonderful fig trees like Italian Everbearing to offer you, so that you can enjoy the pleasure of eating tree-ripened figs from your own yard. These trees are easy to grow, and should give you fruit within 2 or 3 years. But order right away, we can’t promise to have them still available when you come back again.

Many consider them even more delicious, and for two harvests of fabulous everbearing white figs you can’t beat the Ghost Hill Fig tree

Growing the Ghost Hill Fig

Size and Appearance

The Ghost Hill Fig is a medium-sized deciduous tree growing rapidly to be 12 to 15 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide. This is a lot smaller than many other figs, and much narrower and upright than many others, so it’s a great choice for a smaller garden. The leaves are large, up to 10 inches across, and they are deeply divided into 5 broad lobes. They are mid-green with a dry, matt surface, and a gray-green underside.

The breba crop usually holds well through winter as tiny baby fruits, and then begins to quickly develop as warmer weather comes. By late May you should be harvesting your first fruits, and they continue to ripen through June. The fruit is medium-sized, round, with green skin that turns yellow when it ripens. Often we judge when a fig is ripe because the neck softens and bends, but that doesn’t happen much with this variety, so wait until a few cracks develop in the skin. A fig must be fully ripe to fully enjoy the wondrous fragrance, sweetness and texture that only tree-ripened figs have. When you cut it open you will see the honey-colored inner flesh, with a touch of brownish-red, oozing delicious juice. Enjoy.

The main crop develops on new branches that sprout in spring, and ripens between late September and early November – a wonderful fall treat to finish off the year. The fruits are similar but perhaps a little larger and sweeter than the breba crop.They may contain a few seeds, but they are just as wonderful to eat fresh.

Using the Ghost Hill Fig in Your Garden

The Ghost Hill Fig can be grown directly in your garden, or in a large pot or planter. It can also be grown spread out on a south-facing wall – a position that is often very successful in colder zones.

Hardiness

The Ghost Hill Fig grows from zone 7 to 10, thriving in areas where the summers are hot and dry – conditions that also give you the best chance of a main crop. Potted trees can be left outdoors all winter from zone 8, but in zone 7 it may be safer to bring them into an unheated, porch, shed or garage once the leaves have fallen.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Plant your Ghost Hill Fig in full sun for the best results, although in the hottest zones it will grow well even with a few hours of shade each day. It grows in any well-drained soil, including poor, sandy or rocky soils, and in dry places. It is very drought resistant too, once established. For containers use a mixture of equal parts garden soil, coarse sand and regular potting soil, and make sure your container has a large drainage hole.

Maintenance and Pruning

The Ghost Hill Fig tree doesn’t need much in the way of care, and it isn’t necessary to add organic material when planting, or to use fertilizer. Established potted trees should be fed with liquid tomato food in spring and summer. Pests or diseases almost never cause any problems. You don’t need to prune, but long branches can have the growing tip removed in early summer to encourage branching.

History and Origin of the Ghost Hill Fig

The fig tree, Ficus carica, has been grown for millennia all around the Mediterranean. Most of the trees grown in America are different from European varieties, and many can be traced back to Spanish missionaries and Italian immigrants, who brought over bundles of twigs to establish them in the New World. As well, figs arrived in Virginia from England in 1669, mostly varieties that had been imported from Italy over a 100 years earlier.

Texas has always had unique varieties, and one is called ‘Texas Everbearing’. It is very similar to an old variety that came from Provence, in France, called ‘Brown Turkey’, but probably a little different. Bud sports are branches on a plant that have mutated, producing something noticeable different, and it is likely that the white-fruited version of ‘Texas Everbearing’ developed that way. It was found at the Aldridge Nursery in Von Ormy, Texas, and seems to have been first released by the L.E. Cooke Co. nursery in Visalia, California in 22017. The trademarked name Ghost Hill was given to it, because the part of the Aldridge Nursery where it was found was known as Ghost Hill.

Buying the Ghost Hill Fig at the Tree Center

Enjoy something different from the usual purple fig, and grow the delicious Ghost Hill Fig instead. With the chance of double crops each year, this compact variety could become your favorite fruit tree – and the easiest to take care of. Order now – this new variety has been attracting a lot of attention, and we only have a few plants available.

Growing the Desert King Fig

Size and Appearance

The Desert King Fig is a deciduous shrub with thick, flexible branches covered in smooth gray bark. It is fast growing, and soon reaches between 15 and 25 feet in height and spread, or perhaps smaller when grown in cooler zones. The large leaves, approaching 12 inches across, are green, with 3 or 5 lobes, but not as deeply cut as we see in many other varieties of fig. This fig is unusual because it develops a crop of figs in mid-summer, ripening over 2 or 3 weeks. This ‘breba’ crop is carried in clusters of 6 to 8 figs on stems from the previous year. This variety is self-pollinating, and carries a full crop all by itself. These figs are medium-sized, and they are ripe when the green skin turns yellow. Sometimes the skin can split a little as well, but this is fine. The inner skin is white when cut open, and the central flesh is a bright but dark red. The flavor is delicious, with sweet juice like honey gathering among the red flesh. It tastes of strawberries, with a delicate scent, and it is sweet, but not overpowering. If you have never eaten tree-ripened fresh figs still warm from the sun, you are in for a real treat. You can expect your first crop within 2 summers of planting.

As well, in some areas, depending on the region and climate, a second main crop will be produced, on new branches. These ripen late in the year, into September, and they are similar to, but larger, than the early crop. They are often also even sweeter, and contain a few small, crunchy seeds.

Using the Desert King Fig in Your Garden

The Desert KingFig is ideal for outdoor growing in cooler zones, but it is also a good choice anywhere in the country, especially with its promise of two crops a year. Plant it in a sheltered, sunny spot, and allow enough room for its final size when choosing that spot.

Hardiness

The ‘Desert King Fig grows well, and usually carries a breba crop, in zone 6. Most other varieties will drop their breba fruit in early spring, during wet and cold weather, but not this one. It also tolerates more rain and humidity in summer, so it grows well in the northwest, and also in cooler areas in the east. However it is still a good choice for hot zones into zone 10, promising two good crops a year in those areas.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun is best for the Desert King Fig, and gives the best growth and largest crops. It is also needed for good ripening of the fruit. Plant in any well-drained soil, including poor, sandy and rocky soils. There is no need to add organic material when planting. Once established it has good drought resistance, and only needs watering in summer if you see leaves drooping or yellowing, and immature fruit dropping.

Maintenance and Pruning

As found with all fig trees, pests and diseases are rarely an issue when growing them, and figs are easy to grow. The Desert King Fig tends to produce long, unbranched limbs, which results in a lower crop. To prevent this, pinch out the growing tip of any branches you see growing without side branches, to encourage 2 or 3 side limbs to develop. No other pruning is necessary.

History and Origin of the Desert King Fig

The fig tree, Ficus carica, is one of the earliest fruit trees grown by humans once farming began, and it has been cultivated around the Mediterranean, from Spain to the Middle East, for thousands of years. Some of the earliest plants grown in America were brought to California by early Spanish missionaries when the area was still owned by Spain. All we know about the origins of the variety called Desert Kingis that it was found in Madera in the San Joaquin Valley, California. This region of hot, dry summers is still today almost 70% Latino. Desert King is a San Pedro type fig, sometimes simply called ‘King’ or ‘White King’.

Buying the Desert King Fig at the Tree Center

For exactly the climates – wet, cool summers but mild winters – where most figs fail, the Desert King Fig is a great choice. It’s a great choice everywhere if you enjoy green-skinned figs, so order now and look forward to figs in summer, and perhaps figs in fall as well. Order right away – this variety is hard to source, in high demand, and our supplies are limited and will soon be gone.

Growing the Black Jack Fig

Size and Appearance

The Black Jack Fig is a compact variety of fig, which can be grown in several different ways. You can plant it and leave it to grow naturally, in which case it will be 12 to 15 feet tall and wide. With some annual pruning it can be kept to around 6 feet tall and wide. Or, you can spread it out on a wall, where it takes up no garden footage at all – and thrives. The stems are thick but flexible, with a smooth, light-gray bark that becomes rougher with age. The leaves are large, up to 10 inches across, and very ornamental. They are deeply divided into 3 or 5 lobes, and each lobe has rounded, divided edges, giving a decorative effect that makes this tree an ornamental part of your garden – as well as productive.

The fruit of the fig is unique among plants, because the flowers are inside it, not outside. It is a bowl filled with tiny blossoms, turned outside in. In nature figs are pollinated by tiny wasps, but garden figs need no pollination. They are all female, and without pollination there are no seeds, so the flesh inside is soft and delicious. When ripe the outside is a deep purple-brown, and inside is a white layer, containing the bright pink center. Fresh figs have a delicate aroma and a unique and subtle flavor very different from the heavy sweetness of dried figs – it’s like a totally different fruit. The Black Jack Fig usually has one crop a year, ripening sometime in August or September. In hot areas you may get two crops – an early one from tiny fruits that stay on the tree through the winter, ripening in June, and a later one from fruits that form on new branches, and ripen in fall. Figs are ready to harvest when they are deep purple and when the neck (where they join the tree) begins to soften and sag. It is definitely worth waiting for that moment, to enjoy their true glory.

Using the Black Jack Fig in Your Garden

There are several different ways to grow the Black Jack Fig in your garden. You can simply plant it, allowing enough room for its development, and let it grow. You can plant it in a smaller space, or in a container, if you plan to prune it, which will keep it much smaller. You can also grow it planted at the foot of a sunny wall, and spread out the branches, tying it to the wall. This method is a good choice in zone 7, and will give much larger crops, and better ripening.

Hardiness

The Black Jack Fig is hardy in zone 7, and in all warmer zones. It thrives in areas with lots of sun and enjoys dry summers. If you have it in a container in zone 7, place the pot in a cold shed or unheated garage for the coldest months of the year, keeping the soil dry.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Although it will grow in a little shade, full sun is far better for the Black Jack Fig, as bushes may never form fruit if it is too shady. It grows well in all well-drained soils, and does best in poor, sandy or gravel soils. Rich soils will produce plenty of growth, but little fruit. If your garden soil is rich, build a box with some old paving slabs, set into the ground. Replace the soil with a mix of 2 parts your garden soil and 1 part coarse sand or fine gravel. This ‘poorer’ soil will control growth and encourage fruiting.

Maintenance and Pruning

The Black JackFig is normally free of pests or diseases, and it doesn’t need fertilizer, except if grown in a container. Water young plants regularly, until they are established. Although this tree is very drought resistant, if it becomes too dry and leaves or developing fruits begin to drop, soak it deeply. To keep it smaller, prune in early spring, removing tall branches, or cutting them back by around half.

History and Origin of the Black Jack’ Fig

The fig tree, Ficus carica, has been grown by humans for thousands of years, mostly in countries around the Mediterranean. The Spanish missionaries who settled the south-west brought branches with them, and it was probably from one of these, or from branches brought by Italian settlers, the variety called ‘California Brown Turkey’ arose. We don’t know the story of the plant called Black Jack, but it seems to have been a plant simply found by an unknown gardener. Most experts think it is a seedling of ‘California Brown Turkey’.

Buying the Black Jack Fig at the Tree Center

Figs are great plants for your garden, because they are fast-growing, easy to grow, and attractive. The wonderful fresh fruit is almost a bonus – but an excellent one, and incredibly tasty. If you haven’t eaten a fresh, garden-ripened fig, you are in for a treat. If you have, you will love this juicy and delicious variety. Order now, because figs are only produced by specialist nurseries, and always in short supply.