Category: Shrubs

(Ficus carica) -Full to Part Sun–  Fruits on current year’s growth, purple-skinned fruit

 Produces medium-sized purple-skinned fruits with bright pink/red flesh.  Has a sweet, peach-like flavor when fully ripe.   Originated in Chicago, attesting to its hardiness! 

Quart pots $8, Gallon* pots $16

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We have been successfully growing figs in USDA Hardiness zone 5/6 for the past five years. Each year the figs die back almost to the ground but then come back up ready to go in late spring each year (sometimes as late as the end of May – don’t give up on them!).  We have chosen varieties which yield two crops a year and therefore fruit on their first year’s growth.  In some years when winter has stuck around late, the figs have been slow to bud out and the big crops they set failed to ripen before fall frosts.  But getting fresh figs to feast on 2 out of 3 years is totally worth the few off years!  In addition, they are gorgeous landscape plants with their large lobular leaves.  Our plants reach around 8’ in height each year starting from the ground and form multi-stemmed bushes.  Fig leaves can be used to wrap meat and fish before grilling or broiling to impart a coconut-like flavor to the meat!  Though the plants are very drought-hardy, we have found that watering well during dry times helps the fig crop to ripen more consistently (it seems the plant will abort its crop to cope with drought).  Best in full sun, but can take half-day’s shade no problem.  Best in a location protected from the North and West (where winter winds come from).  Figs do not need a pollinator.  Space 5’-8’ apart in row. 

Availability of plants varies from day to day.  We rarely carry every size/price option listed at any one time.  Please call before you come to check availability.

(Ficus carica) -Full to Part Sun–  Cuttings collected from the backyard of a bar in Louisville

For years we heard rumors of a fig growing semi-wild in the back patio of a bar on Magnolia street in Louisville.  We finally tracked it down last fall and got cuttings.  It is now almost totally overgrown there, and I doubt it has enough sun to fruit anymore, so we can’t attest to any of it’s qualities other than apparent hardiness.  But we’re trialling it in our gardens and you can too!  Let us know what you find out.

Quart pots $8, Gallon* pots $16

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Availability of plants varies from day to day.  We rarely carry every size/price option listed at any one time.  Please call before you come to check availability.

(Ficus carica) -Full to Part Sun–  Fruits on current year’s growth, gold-skinned fruit

Produces medium-sized golden -brown fruits with honey-colored flesh.  Very sweet!  This is a slightly improved strain of the well-known Brown Turkey.  Leaves are slightly more deep-cut than Chicago Hardy.

Quart pots $8, Gallon* pots $16

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Availability of plants varies from day to day.  We rarely carry every size/price option listed at any one time.  Please call before you come to check availability.