- Common fig trees (Ficus carica) offer an early crop of figs, grown on the prior season's growth. This crop -- termed the "breba" crop -- usually plays second fiddle to the fig's fall crop both in quality and quantity of fruit. Late frosts destroy the breba crops in cooler areas, and some cultivars eliminate the spring crop altogether. Breba crops appear -- if at all -- in late May, well after the leaves have opened on fig trees.
- The principal commercial fig crop arrives in the fall, which is when figs appear in farmers' markets and grocery stores around the country. The main crop develops on the current season's growth. Homeowners who prune figs in spring may lose out on the crop altogether. Commercial fig production is limited to a few months of the year, since figs cannot be picked green and left to ripen during shipping. They ripen on the tree or not at all.
- Legend identifies the fig leaf as covering Adam and Eve's nakedness, and it is large enough to suit the purpose. Fig leaves are deep green, generously lobed and up to a foot in length. Both sides of the leaf are covered with hairy fibers; the upper side rough and the lower side soft. The leaves appear in April. By summer, they cover the twisting fig branches in thick layers. The large, swaying leaves give a backyard a slightly tropical look and provide good shade.
- Four principal types of fig trees exist: common fig, Caprifig, Smyrna and San Pedro. Most figs in Texas are common fig cultivars, offering two annual crops and self-pollinating. The fruits of Caprifigs are inedible, yet wherever growers cultivate the popular Smyrna or the San Pedro fig, they also plant Caprifigs. Caprifigs provide the male flower pollen that fertilizes Smyrna and San Pedro flowers and allows fruiting. Smyrna figs arrive in fall and the fruit dries well, while San Pedro -- eaten fresh -- offers two crops like the common fig.
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