Common fig

Fruits of the common fig. © Photo: Petréa Mitchell

The common fig is the plant Ficus carica and the fruit it produces, which is cultivated for food.

F. carica is native to southwest Asia, from Turkey to northern India. It is one of the earliest fruits to be cultivated by prehistoric peoples. It was a staple food in ancient Greece, and still is around the Mediterranean.

The trees are propagated from cuttings taken in late winter. In warm climates, a fig tree can produce two crops of fruit in the same year, the first in early summer and the second in late summer or fall.

Figs are eaten raw, stewed, dried, and in baked goods.