Growing Figs in the Pacific Northwest: A Practical Guide for Growers

Why Figs Work Here

Figs (Ficus carica) are among the most drought-tolerant fruit crops. In their native Mediterranean range they’re often dry-farmed—and while most cultivars crave heat, a handful have thrived in the Pacific Northwest since the late 1800s, now reaching into coastal B.C. They’re generally pest/disease-light, deer-unappealing, easy to grow, and hardy to ~10–15°F once established.

Key idea: Our bioregion, the Maritime Northwest is under-researched for figs. Much of what we know comes from dedicated growers and microclimate experiments—not formal trials.

An assortment of fig varieties showing the diversity of colors, shapes, and flavors that can thrive in Pacific Northwest gardens.

The Knowledge Gap (and Where to Look)

Classic fig references (I. J. Condit’s The Fig and Fig Varieties: A Monograph) are freely available and still foundational. But little formal research exists for cool, northern temperate fig culture. Regional efforts like Kiwibob Glanzman’s Puget Sound Regional Fig Variety Test show how much microclimate matters and provide a launch pad for your own trials. Europe’s cool-summer growers (U.K., northern France, parts of Scandinavia) are also sharing useful, field-tested practices online.

Opportunity: With shifting microclimates and warming summers, the tipping point for ripening “borderline” cultivars may be moving our way. Now is a prime time for Cascadian fig trials.

Making Sense of Ficus carica

Not a “Fruit,” Technically

Figs don’t set a conventional fruit—they form a syconium: a hollow, vase-like structure lined internally with many tiny flowers. We talk about crops rather than individual “fruits.”

Crop Types

• Breba: First crop on last year’s wood (often mid-summer here).

• Main crop: Second crop on current-season shoots (late summer to fall; in cool seasons this may not fully ripen).

Fig Types & Pollination (Simplified)

• Caprifig & Smyrna: Need pollination by the fig wasp (caprification). The wasp isn’t present in the PNW, so these aren’t practical.

• San Pedro: Breba sets without pollination, but main crop needs the wasp. Example: ‘Desert King’ (our staple) behaves like this—reliable breba; main crop rarely relevant here.

• Common (most PNW figs): Self-fertile; breba and/or main crop parthenocarpic (no pollination needed). Some are truly bifera (two useful crops in warm years), others functionally unifera here.

Microclimate is everything: A south-facing wall, reflected heat, and wind protection can turn a “maybe” into a consistent harvest.

Pruning to Improve Yields (and Ripening)

Your Goal in Cool Summers

In growing figs here in the PNW, favor breba (summer) and de-emphasize late main crop that may not sweeten before cold/rain.

Two Training Styles That Work

1) Multi-stemmed Bush (great near walls)

• Establish: After year 2, head the trunk low to force several stems (think lilac).

• Late winter: Remove suckers, dead/inward/crossing wood; keep canopy open for light/air.

• Mid-summer pinching: When new shoots show 4–6 leaves, pinch tips. This triggers side shoots that set tiny embryonic figs late summer—small enough to overwinter and ripen as next year’s breba.

• Late fall: After a hard freeze, remove any figs larger than a marble; they won’t overwinter.

2) Small, Open-center Tree

• Select a single trunk and 4–7 scaffold branches at ~45°–60° angles.

• Each summer, shorten side shoots to 4–6 leaves to prevent late, hopeless fruiting and to push embryonic fig set for next year’s breba.

• Each late winter, thin to maintain 4–7 balanced scaffolds.

A vigorous backyard fig trained as a multi-stemmed bush—an ideal form for Pacific Northwest growers.

Harvest & Season Hacks

When to Pick

Ripe figs droop from their own weight and feel slightly soft. The longer they hang (before weather turns), the sweeter they get.

The Old “Oiling” Trick (For Late Holdouts)

For stubborn late figs approaching size but stalling: place one drop of vegetable/olive oil on the ostiole (“eye”) using a toothpick or feather. Historically used by Paris market growers to push final maturity when fruit is ~⅔ size. Some cultivars respond dramatically (ripening in ~1 week). Use sparingly and test on a few.

Site, Soil, and Winter Care

• Site: Warm, sunny, wind-sheltered. A south or west wall can be the difference maker in cool summers.

• Soil: Well-drained is non-negotiable. Figs tolerate low fertility better than wet feet. Raised beds/mounds help heavy soils and warm faster in spring.

• Cold: Mature trees often handle ~10°F; hard freezes can top-kill but plants resprout vigorously from the crown/roots.

• Protection: Young plants benefit from trunk insulation (after leaf drop). Multi-stem bushes are easy to wrap (temporary winter frame + heavy fabric). If frozen to ground, expect 2–3 years back to strong production.

Propagation: Taking (and Storing) Cuttings

• When: Early spring at bud-break, mid-summer, or late fall (store these).

• How:

  • Take 6–10" cuttings (longer OK), ideally with a bit of 2-year wood at the base.

  • Straight cut just below a node (bottom); slant cut just above a node (top) to keep orientation clear.

  • For fall cuttings: bag dry (no damp towels) and refrigerate; good for ~2–3 months.

• Planting: The “Turkish” method sets 36–48" stakes deep where a new tree is desired—useful for drought establishment.

Freshly pruned fig cuttings labeled for propagation—a simple and reliable way to start new trees.

Growing Figs: Reliable PNW Cultivars (Field-Tested Shortlist)

• Desert King (San Pedro-type) The PNW workhorse: excellent, early breba; vigorous; cold-tolerant; handles spring frost. Main crop typically irrelevant here (wasp absent). Prune to favor breba.

• Lattarula / Italian Honey (aka Blanche, White Marseille) Slow, dense habit; light breba in cool summers; two crops in warmer sites. Medium-large yellow-green figs; sweet, lemony profile.

• Negronne / Violette de Bordeaux Compact, cool-climate friendly. Regular breba of exceptional quality; heavy main crop needs true heat. Nearly black skin, dark red flesh; great for containers/small spaces.

• Atreano Dwarf, precocious, productive. Light green skin, dark amber flesh; two crops in warmer pockets.

• Black Spanish Long proven in Oregon. Firm, sweet, dark mahogany fruit; naturally dwarf; can give two crops.

• Excel Modern Dotatto-type (Condit, 1975). Green-yellow skin, amber pulp; main crop focus; does well in cooler areas; winter hardy.

• Brown Turkey (name confusion alert)A French/English staple with many synonyms. Small hardy tree; light breba + medium main crop in warm sites. Verify source; Vern’s Brown Turkey (One Green World selection) performs well and is often treated distinctly in trade.

• Pastillere (aka Hirta) Bright purple skin, strawberry flesh; early, abundant main crop potential in warm microclimates; low vigor suits small spaces. Tends to split; sugars can be modest—site matters.

• Stella / Cordi / Adriatic-type Large, sweet, red-fleshed interior; a good PNW performer in warm exposures.

• Croisic (Cordelia/Gillette/St. John) Pale yellow, early breba only; compact, spreading habit; often ripens right after Desert King.

• Osborne Prolific (Hardy Prolific, Rust, etc.) Light breba; medium-large purple-brown fruit with amber pulp; dependable.

• Green Ischia (Verte/New Verte) Small-medium green skin, violet-red pulp; birds ignore the green; compact tree.

• White Genoa Early, very sweet, long bearing; needs consistent annual pruning; green-yellow skin, yellow-pink pulp.

• Ventura Large, long-necked figs, deep red flesh; quality flavor; compact tree; good breba, late but capable of maturing in cool areas with a warm site.

Desert King. Reliable in our ecology.

Note on names: Fig nomenclature is famously tangled. Many cultivars carry multiple synonyms, and leaf shape varies wildly—even on the same tree. Use multiple traits (skin/flesh color, flavor, timing, vigor, breba behavior) and buy from reputable sources.

Quick Start (For New PNW Growers)

1. Choose site before cultivar (south/west wall if possible).

2. Plant Desert King for reliable breba while trialing 1–2 others.

3. Train as multi-stem bush or small open-center tree.

4. Pinch in mid-summer to set next year’s breba; remove marble-plus figs after first hard freeze.

5. Keep soil well-drained; don’t over-fertilize; mulch for moisture.

6. Protect young plants in hard winters; expect bounce-back if top-killed.

Further Reading (Classics)

• I. J. Condit, The Fig (1947); Fig Varieties: A Monograph (1955)

• G. Eisen, The Fig—Its History, Culture and Curing (1901)

• USDA/Extension bulletins on fig culture (various years)

Fig Lore (for fun, optional sidebar)

• “I don’t care a fig” traces to mock-insults like the Italian fico gesture.

• Thomas Jefferson praised the delicate figs around Marseille and Toulon in 1787.

• The word sycophant has roots connected (contested but colorful) to ancient fig trade tales.

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