Figs
Figs: One of the World's Oldest Cultivated Fruits
The fig, Ficus carica, has been cultivated for thousands of years and is closely tied to the cultures of
the Mediterranean and western Asia. Known for its sweet fruit and distinctive shape,
the fig tree has long symbolized abundance and fertility. Today, figs grow in warm
climates around the world鈥攊ncluding many gardens across North Carolina.
This page explores the fig鈥檚 long journey from ancient cultivation to its place in North Carolina鈥檚 gardening traditions.
The fig (Ficus carica) is native to the Mediterranean Basin and regions of western Asia. You may already be familiar with some plants in the fig family, such as the ornamental rubber tree and the mulberry. Ben Pike, a prominent British orchard consultant, reminds us that throughout history the fig tree has been 鈥渁 symbol of abundance, fertility, and sweetness.鈥�
Figs were well known during the height of the Roman and Greek civilizations. In ancient Greece, figs were a staple food and were commonly eaten by athletes for energy. They were also sometimes given as valuable prizes at athletic competitions.
It is likely that the fig is one of the first plants to be cultivated by humans. Archaeological discoveries at the Neolithic site of Gilgal I in the Jordan Valley have revealed fossilized figs dating to about 9400鈥�9200 BC. This evidence suggests figs may have been among the earliest plants ever cultivated by humans. The common fig is native to the eastern Mediterranean and western Asia, ranging from Greece and Turkey eastward to Afghanistan.
Today, figs are naturalized in many warm, temperate, and subtropical regions around the world.
Fun Fact: California produces nearly all of the figs grown commercially in the United States, especially in the fertile San Joaquin Valley.
With more than 470 varieties now grown in North Carolina, figs are believed to have first arrived on the coast in 1715, brought by English settlers.
At least 16 varieties are known to grow on Ocracoke Island alone 鈥� a place that has
fully embraced its famous 鈥渇lower鈥� (botanically speaking, figs are not technically
fruits). Whether baked in cakes, preserved in jars, or tossed into salads, North Carolina
fig enthusiasts have long known how to grow them to flavorful perfection.
Colonial records from nearby Portsmouth Island 鈥� a small island just off Ocracoke with a shared history 鈥� offer early evidence of figs in the region. In a letter to his business partner John Wallace, merchant John Gray Blount wrote, 鈥淚 won鈥檛 be able to get to Portsmouth until fig season.鈥� This reference suggests figs were already growing on the island at that time.
While early settlers may not have realized the number of varieties that existed, researchers have identified at least 16 different fig varieties on Ocracoke Island today. Several of these 鈥� perhaps five or six 鈥� have been passed down since the 1700s.
This culture and cultivation has survived these many decades, with Ocracoke hosting a yearly Fig Festival in August.
Early settlers often planted fig trees near their back or kitchen doors. Dishwater was commonly poured around the trees, and clam or oyster shells were placed around the base. Even today, many older fig trees on the island still have shells surrounding them. When rainwater washed nutrients from the shells into the soil, it helped feed the trees.
Island residents preserved figs in many ways. They were dried, sprinkled with sugar, or made into preserves. The original island fig cake was a simple yellow cake cut into several layers with fig preserves spread between them. In the 1960s, however, a woman named Margaret Garrish adapted a recipe for date cake and modified it into a fig cake. That version eventually became the traditional fig cake known on Ocracoke today.
This cake is now part of a long-standing local tradition. Many of the women who bake fig cakes today grew up on the island and still harvest figs from the same trees that grew in their childhood yards.
This tradition is celebrated each year at the , where visitors can learn about the island鈥檚 fig heritage and enjoy many of the recipes and traditions that have been passed down for generations.
Figs are most easily propagated from cuttings. A piece of the stem can be planted directly into soil, where it will grow into a new tree. Because figs are both sweet and easy to grow, settlers often shared cuttings with neighbors and friends. Over time, fig trees gradually spread throughout North Carolina.
To learn more about the history of figs in North Carolina, tips for growing your own fig tree, and a traditional fig cake recipe, read this article from .
A Fascinating Fig Story: The Fig and the Fig Wasp
One of the most remarkable aspects of figs is their relationship with a tiny insect known as the fig wasp. For millions of years, figs and fig wasps have lived in a unique partnership that scientists call mutualism.
A fig is actually a structure called a syconium, which is a hollow sac lined with tiny flowers inside. In many species of figs, these flowers can only be pollinated by a specific species of fig wasp. The female wasp enters the fig through a tiny opening to lay her eggs and, in the process, pollinates the flowers.
The fig then provides a place for the next generation of wasps to develop. When the new wasps emerge, they carry pollen to another fig, continuing the cycle. This intricate partnership has existed for millions of years and is considered one of the most specialized plant鈥搃nsect relationships in nature.
Interestingly, most common figs grown in home gardens in the United States do not
require this pollination process. These varieties produce fruit without pollination,
which is why they grow so easily in places like North Carolina.
Figs in the Garden
The deciduous fig tree can live for as long as 100 years and may grow up to 50 feet tall, although most trees typically reach between 10 and 30 feet. Their twisting branches often spread wider than the tree鈥檚 height.
Figs flourish in hot, dry climates, and the fruit requires full sunlight throughout the day to ripen properly.
Botanically, the fig is not actually a fruit but a syconium 鈥� a structure formed from a portion of the stem that expands into a sac containing tiny flowers that grow internally. The common fig contains only female flowers and can produce fruit without pollination, while other cultivars require pollination to develop.
From ancient Mediterranean civilizations to backyard gardens across North Carolina, the fig tree continues to connect history, culture, and agriculture in remarkable ways.
Sources:
Figs - Fascinated Fruit of the Ancients