Fig

A fig is a sweet fruit.

It grows on a tree or a large bush. The leaves are wide and have deep parts. The fruit can be green or purple. It has many crunchy seeds inside.

The tree has white bark. It also has milky sap. This sap can make your skin feel itchy. People have grown these plants for a long time. You can eat them fresh or dried. Many people use them to make yummy treats. Do you like sweet fruit?

The fig is a sweet fruit.

It grows on a common fig tree. These trees have smooth white bark. They also have large leaves with deep parts.

The fruit is shaped like a teardrop. It starts out green. Later, it may turn purple or brown. Inside, the fruit has soft red flesh. It also has many crunchy seeds.

Most figs are called a syconium. This is a hollow part that holds many tiny flowers inside. These flowers bloom out of sight. A tiny wasp helps the flowers make seeds. The wasp enters through a small hole in the fruit.

People have grown figs for a very long time. Some say they were the first plants humans ever grew.

You can eat figs fresh. They are also good dried. Many people use them to make jams or biscuits. In 2018, the world grew 1.14 million tonnes of raw figs. Turkey and North African countries grow the most. These places make up 64% of the total.

The fig is a sweet and tasty fruit. It comes from the common fig tree, which is a type of shrub or tree. These plants are native to the Mediterranean region and parts of Asia.

The tree has smooth white bark and large leaves. These leaves have three to five deep lobes. The fruit is shaped like a teardrop. It starts out green but can turn purple or brown as it ripens. Inside, you will find soft, reddish flesh and many crunchy seeds. The green parts of the plant have a milky sap that can irritate human skin.

Most figs are actually quite unusual in how they grow. The fruit is a hollow, fleshy structure called a syconium. Inside this structure, many tiny flowers bloom out of sight.

A small opening at the top, called an ostiole, acts like a tiny door. A special insect called a fig wasp, or Blastophaga psenes, enters through this passage. The wasp helps pollinate the flowers inside. Once the flowers are fertilized, they grow into small, single-seeded fruits. These tiny fruits are what we feel as crunchy seeds when we eat them.

Humans have been growing figs for a very long time. Some evidence suggests they might be the first plants ever cultivated.

In a village called Gilgal I in the Jordan Valley, scientists found fossils of figs from about 9400 to 9200 BC. This was even before people began growing wheat or barley. In ancient Greece, famous thinkers like Aristotle studied these trees. Aristotle noticed that there are two kinds of figs. One type is the cultivated fig that bears fruit. The other is the wild caprifig that helps the first kind grow.

Figs are grown in many different places around the world today. In 2018, the world produced 1.14 million tonnes of raw figs.

Turkey and North African countries like Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria are the biggest producers. Together, they make up 64% of the total amount. In the United States, many figs grow in California. This is because California has a climate that is similar to the Mediterranean. In 1769, Spanish missionaries brought the first figs to California. They grew a type called the Mission variety, which people still like today.

There are many ways to enjoy this fruit. You can eat fresh figs, but they can be easily damaged during travel. Because of this, most figs are sold dried or made into treats. People use them to make jams, rolls, and biscuits. Raw figs are mostly made of water, which is about 80% of their weight. They also contain about 20% carbohydrates. They are a good source of fiber for your body. Whether fresh or dried, figs have been a favorite food for thousands of years.

The fig is the edible fruit of the *Ficus carica*. This plant is known as the common fig. It is a species of tree or large shrub. It belongs to the Moraceae plant family. This species is native to the Mediterranean region. It is also native to western and southern Asia. Today, the fig is grown all over the world.

The fig has a very unique way of growing. What we call a fruit is actually a syconium. A syconium is a hollow, fleshy structure. It is technically an infructescence, which means it contains many small fruits. Inside this structure, many tiny unisexual flowers bloom. These flowers stay hidden from view. There is a small opening at the top called an ostiole. This opening is a narrow passage. It allows a specialized insect to enter the fruit. This insect is the fig wasp, known as *Blastophaga psenes*. The wasp enters the ostiole to pollinate the flowers. Once the flowers are fertilized, each ovule becomes a single-seeded fruit. These tiny fruits are called drupelets. They are the crunchy parts we eat.

There are three main types of edible figs. The first type is the persistent fig. These are also called common figs. They have all female flowers. These flowers do not need pollination to make fruit. This process is called parthenocarpy. Popular examples include the Black Mission and Brown Turkey cultivars. The second type is the caducous fig. These are also known as Smyrna figs. They require cross-pollination by the fig wasp. They need pollen from caprifigs to mature. If they are not pollinated, the fruit will drop. The third type is the intermediate fig. These are called San Pedro figs. They can produce a spring crop without pollination. However, they need pollination for their main summer crop.

Figs have a very long history with humans. They may be the first plant ever cultivated. In the Jordan Valley, scientists found subfossil figs at Gilgal I. These fossils date back to about 9400–9200 BC. This was in the early Neolithic period. This discovery suggests fig farming happened before wheat or barley. In ancient Israel, figs were a staple crop. They were eaten fresh or preserved. In ancient Greece, thinkers like Aristotle studied them. Aristotle noted that there are two kinds of figs. One is the cultivated fig that bears fruit. The other is the wild caprifig. The caprifig helps the cultivated fig bear fruit.

Roman history also features the fig. The writer Cato the Elder listed many fig strains. These included the Mariscan and the African varieties. Figs were even used to fatten geese. The first Roman emperor, Augustus, was reportedly poisoned by figs. His wife, Livia, is said to have smeared them with poison. Because of this, a variety called the Liviana was grown.

In 1769, Spanish missionaries brought figs to California. They grew the Mission variety. This variety remains popular in California today. Later, more varieties arrived from France and England. California became a major producer due to its Mediterranean-like climate.

Today, fig production is a massive global industry. In 2018, the world produced 1.14 million tonnes of raw figs. Turkey and North African countries lead the world. This includes Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria. These three regions account for 64% of total production.

Raw figs are mostly water. They consist of roughly 80% water. The remaining 20% is mostly carbohydrates. They contain very little protein or fat. However, they are a good source of dietary fiber. Most commercial figs are sold dried. This is because fresh figs are easily damaged. They do not stay fresh for long during transport.

Growing figs can be done in many ways. You can grow them from seeds. Seeds grow fast once they are established. However, many farmers use vegetative propagation. This is a method of growing new plants from parts of old ones. This includes using shoots with buds or scratching a branch. Vegetative methods are often faster and more reliable. This method also avoids producing inedible caprifigs. Fig trees can produce two crops each year. The first is the breba crop in the spring. The main crop grows on new shoots. This main crop ripens in the late summer or fall. This allows for a steady supply of fruit.