Ficus carica 'BROWN TURKEY' fig tree
Ficus
We focus on plants that have not been cultivated in our climate before. We have great results because many of them are well adaptable to our continental conditions and do what they should – flourish, bloom, or set fruit. Fig trees belong among these originally forbidden taxons. There, a good location is needed as well as a selected variety suitable for our zone. And if you meet both obligations, you can enjoy sweet and tasty figs from your own garden every summer as well as exotic foliage that significantly upgrades every Mediterranean-like landscape.
One of the hardiest figs for our climate (zone 6) is named Brown Turkey. As the name suggests the fruit is brownish-red or blackish-purple, relatively large and sweet. They do not require pollination. Immature fruit and branches contain sap which can be an eye and lip-irritant. Palmate leaves are very ornamental – mid green and large, with deep, rounded lobes. Pruning is possible in spring, for stronger fruiting you can cut new branches after 3rd leaf in summer.
It needs a sunny spot preferably at a south-facing wall where it can accumulate a lot of warmth and is sheltered in winter. Young plants survive approx. -15°C, older plants can take -20°C or more with protection. In any case it is fully root-hardy i.e. it always re-sprouts from the ground level if branches are damaged by frost. It needs alkaline soil with some clay and plenty of humus-rich material.
Last update 20-01-2009.
