Ficus carica - Fig

About eight hundred species of Ficus are native to warm regions of the world. They range from the giant banyan trees that spread over one thousand feet wide to vines and small shrubs. Several Ficus species are grown in gardens and as house plants. This species produces the edible fig fruit of commerce. Although it has been cultivated in the Mediterranean region of Europe and Africa for thousands of years, it is thought to have originated in Asia. The fig can grow to thirty feet tall in a warm climate. Flowers are borne inside an oval inflorescence with a small opening at one end. The flowers are pollinated by a single species of wasp that was introduced to the United States to make fig production possible. Some people experience skin irrigation when exposed to the white sap of figs.

The fig grows easily in northeast Florida. It is adaptable, performing best in a well-drained, sunny location.