San Piero california brown turkey / black spanish / la perpetuelle / lee's perpetual / san pedro / thompson's improved brown turkey - Originally from Spain, this is an extremely hardy, vigorous, fast growing, small tree. It produces two crops of mahogany figs which have a very sweet, rich flavor. 'Black Jack' Fig. Ficus carica 'Brown Turkey' Brown Turkey is a cold hardy fig variety with attractive light-green leaves, smooth gray bark and a delicious edible purple-brown fruit that ripens in late August. Flesh is red when ripe. Grows 10-25 tall. Like other figs it is best grown in full sun in rich, well drained soils. Hardy in zones 6-9.
Figs are not a typical fruit. They are actually an inverted flower with both the male and female parts within. They are a powerhouse of minerals and a good source of dietary fiber. They can be eaten fresh, dried or made into preserves. Choose a fig suitable for your climate and they are easy to grow. Most figs are grown in USDA hardiness zones 7 through 11. Their main requirement is good sun exposure. Most home garden varieties do not need pollinators.
Brown Turkey Fig
The 'Brown Turkey' or 'Spanish Mission' fig is an easy fig to grow. This could very well be the most versatile fig of all. This one will grow wherever figs are hardy. It is able to survive colder winter temperatures than the warm weather figs. If it does die back from cold weather it will re-grow and bear fruit the following year. The tree also has a smaller stature and can easily fit into most home gardens. The outside of the 'Brown Turkey' fig is of course brown, and the inner flesh is an amber pink color. It is a medium to large fig that is produced over a long period. This fig will reliably produce two crops a year. A similar variety, the 'Vern's Brown Turkey' fig, is more suitable for the Pacific Northwest.
Black Mission Fig
This is one of the most popular figs of all. The 'Black Mission' fig was brought to California by Spaniards and grown at the Spanish Missions. Many of the trees still growing there are considered 'Heirloom' varieties because they have been kept pure by the growers. This is a tree that will produce fruit the first year the tree is planted. It is not the best tree for colder regions. The flesh is a dark purple-red color and is very flavorful. The flesh is a bit course but is nearly seedless. The peeling is thick and black. 'Mission' fig is good eaten fresh or dried. This is a larger tree requiring more space.
Smyrna & Calimyrna
'Calimyrna' is the most common cultivar of the 'Smyrna' fig. This is a fig that requires a pollinator. Another tree, the 'Caprifig,' with inedible fruit, is planted to obtain the pollen. The 'Caprifig' fruit is hung nearby so fig wasps can transfer the pollen to the 'Calimyrna' fig. For this reason it is grown less by the home gardener. It is so good that some serious gardeners will grow both figs to obtain the fruit. The nutty flavor of the amber flesh is superb. The outer skin of this fig is also amber colored.
Kadota and Peter's Honey Fig
The 'Kadota' fig is similar to its Italian counterpart, the 'Dattato' fig. The 'Kadota' version is grown more in America. This is a yellow to green, nearly seedless fig. It is eaten fresh or it is canned. It is a good tree for moderate climates like Texas, Hawaii and California. It's often called 'Honey' fig due to its very sweet amber colored flesh.
Another popular fig with an Italian origin is the 'Peter's Honey' fig. It also has shiny yellow-green skin and amber flesh. As the honey in the name implies, it is very sweet and great for eating fresh, drying and canning.
Celeste & Texas Everbearing
'Celeste' is a large fig tree that is very productive. It develops small to medium fruit with violet skin. The flesh is rich and sweet. It is a good fig to use in preserves and it will freeze well. It fruits very early in the season. It is one of the best figs to grow in Texas. Another good variety for Texas is 'Texas Ever-Bearing'. This fig has mahogany colored skin and strawberry colored flesh. This tree will produce at a very young age.
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Dwarf fig trees (Ficus carica) grow best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 11, even though figs will produce fruit in colder climates if grown with winter protection. Fig trees are considered borderline temperate fruit trees because they have a low chilling time of less than 300 hours of temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit in order to bear fruit. Dwarf fig trees grow well in containers and in areas with limited space.
Where Do Dwarf Fig Trees Come From?
Fig trees originate from western Asia where hot, dry summers and cool, mild winters occur. By 5,000 B.C., this fruit tree was distributed throughout the Mediterranean area by traders. The fruit is common in the Middle East as well. Some wild varieties tend to grow slowly and stay short naturally. Plant hybridizers have taken advantage of this tendency and developed dwarf forms that still produce full-sized figs.
How Large Will My Dwarf Fig Get?
Fig trees grow to a variety of heights depending on the type. Many dwarf fig trees reach up to 10 feet tall and wide like the “Celestial” fig tree (Ficus carica “Celestial”). This dwarf fig grows well in USDA zones 7 through 11, producing small sweet figs, which ripen in the middle of June. Semi-dwarf trees like “Black Jack” fig trees (Ficus carica “Black Jack”), in USDA plant hardiness zones 7 through 9, reach up to 15 feet, but they produce well when kept at 6 feet tall by annual pruning. Standard trees like “Brown Turkey” fig trees (Ficus carica “Brown Turkey”) grow to 25 feet tall and wide in USDA zones 7 through 9.
Do I Need to Prune My Dwarf Fig Tree?
Dwarf fig trees require pruning only when they are young and need shaping. Take only a little of the growth off a few of the branches each year until the tree is the desired shape. Heavy pruning contributes to fruit loss since figs develop on last year’s growth. If heavy pruning is needed, cut only half the branches the first summer and trim the other half of the branches the next summer. Always whitewash the tree if severely pruned. This prevents damage from exposure from the hot summer sun. After the first crop of figs of the year, remove dead and broken branches.
When Do I Pick Figs From My Dwarf Fig Tree?
Several varieties of dwarf fig trees produce two crops of figs a year. The spring crop matures anywhere from late spring to mid-summer. The second, or main crop, ripens in the late summer or early fall. Look for fruits that are beginning to bend at the neck and whose skin is slightly soft to the touch. Many varieties change color and develop cracks in the skin when ripe. Do not pick the figs when they are still immature. Figs do not ripen after picking like tomatoes do. Fresh figs keep only two to three days in the refrigerator, while dried figs store up to eight months.
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About the Author
Karen Carter spent three years as a technology specialist in the public school system and her writing has appeared in the 'Willapa Harbor Herald' and the 'Rogue College Byline.' She has an Associate of Arts from Rogue Community College with a certificate in computer information systems.
Cite this ArticleBrown Turkey Figs Season
