Fig

From poets to botanists, and from nutritionists to prophets, the fascination the fig plant has offered civilization since before its cultivation 11,400 years ago is difficult to understate. 

Scientific Name: Ficus carica
Common Name: Fig
Plant Family: Moraceae
Etymology: Ficus, Latin for "fig" or "fig tree," and carica for the region of Caria in Anatolia know for its abundance of figs

Traditional Medical Uses

The fruit, root, and leaves of fig plants have traditionally been used to treat gastrointestinal, respiratory, and cardiovascular concerns. Fig consumption contributes to improved cholesterol, regularity of bowel movements, kidney and liver health, lowering blood pressure, and reduced risk of cancer. Figs contain phenolic compounds, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, among other bodily defenses like anti-aging and anti-spasmodic. Some folk practices in the Mediterranean featured using the milky sap of figs for the treatment of calluses and warts.

Edible Parts

A large element of the interdisciplinary interest in figs is their unique anatomy.

The commonly consumed part of the fig is a receptacle surrounded by many seeds, each of which is considered an individual fruit that blossoms inside the fleshy, hollow pod. The entire fig is edible, including the seeds, thin skin, and the denser purple flesh.

Gathering and Using

Among the first plants to be domesticated, figs are an excellent source of nutrients and minerals, especially in comparison to other common fruits. Figs have a high fiber and sugar contents, as well as polyphenols. Figs flower twice a year; the spring crop is called the breba, and the fall crop is called the main crop. Figs spoil quickly when picked fresh, but they can be stored by a variety of methods including drying, canning, baking, and freezing.

Permaculture Functions and Considerations

• Edible, nutrient-rich fruit
• Low-maintenance
• Can survive indoors in large containers (able to grow in areas with harsh winters)
• Symbol of abundance, a central principle of permaculture
• Medicinal/health benefits

Habitat

Figs thrive in areas of hot climate with long, dry summers and mild winters. Figs originated in the Middle East, and while they are cultivated worldwide, they still grow wildly in the Mediterranean basin.

How to Identify

Fig plants range from deciduous shrubs (10-15' tall) to small trees (10-30' tall). In the spring, they bear small, nondescript green flowers. The fruit/pod is characterized by a pinched-oval shape and rich purple color when ripe. The hairy, palmate, lobed leaves are dark green on the top and a lighter green on the underside. To identify in the winter when leaves have fallen, mature fig trees are noted for their silvery-gray bark which glistens in the sun.

Wildlife Support

>Wild figs co-evolved with wasps, forming a symbiotic relationship in which the minute fig wasp lays its eggs inside of the pod by entering through the opening at the bottom, the ostiole. After the larvae hatch and mate inside, the fig ripens and attracts other animals. (More commonly now, figs are self-pollinating).

Symbolism/Literary Significance 

“Where there is mythology and lore—whether ancient or contemporary—there is the fig,” (Bir, 129).

Attempting to condense the extensive, various meanings the plant holds in numerous religious, cultural, and literary traditions, figs are widely recognized as symbols of wisdom, abundance, fertility/female sexuality.

Additional Information

• At least forty-four verses in the Bible mention figs
• In the Qur'an, the prophet Muhammed proclaims figs the fruit “sent from the heavens”
• Around one-tenth of all bird species and one-sixth of all mammals consume figs
• In terms of anatomy, to consume a fig is to consume hundreds of tiny fruits at once
• Banyan trees, popularly admired for their unique root structure and low-hanging boughs, also belong to the genus Ficus

Sources

• Bir, Sara. The Fruit Forager's Companion. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2018.
• Deardorff, David and Wadsworth, Kathryn. What’s Wrong With My Fruit Garden?: 100% Organic Solutions for Berries, Trees, Nuts, Vines and Tropicals. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, Inc., 2013.

Web Sources

• Missouri Botanical Gardens
• The Old Farmer's Almanac
• National Library of Medicine
• Oxford Reference