Ischia Black Fig Tree
One of the most highly prized black figs, Ischia Black is yet another gem from the USDA collection and one that certainly lives up to the hype. Deep black, nearly blue, skin and a bright strawberry flesh make this one of the most aesthetically pleasing figs and the flavor matches it! Surprisingly resistant to splitting, even in humid greenhouses, and able to ripen most years here in Portland. Ischia Black reportedly ripens a breba crop but we’ve only harvested main crop figs from it so far.
This is another variety that has benefited from being grafted to a vigorous understock to reinvigerate it. It seems to be particularly prone to FMV, especially in greenhouses, so care should be taken to maintain vigorous plants that can outgrow or keep pace with the virus. And many thanks to the incredible people maintaining the important collections at the USDA at UCD, and at stations across the country, for providing us with this plant material.
One of the easiest fruits to grow, and a true gourmet delight, you should not live your life without feasting on this sweet, delectable fruit. To fully enjoy fresh figs, you must grow your own. When fully ripe and at their most tender, shipping them long distances is virtually impossible. Another plus for Figs – deer don’t like them (most of the time)!
Click here to read our Fig Growing Guide.
Latin Name: Ficus carica
Site and Soil: Figs do well in a variety of soils, but require at least 8 hours of sunlight during the growing season.
Pollination Requirements: Self-figful.
Hardiness: Hardy to between 0° & 5° F.
Bearing Age: 1-2 years after planting.
Size at Maturity: 10-20 ft in height, smaller with pruning.
Taste: Delicious deep black fig perfection
Fruit Skin: Dark black, almost irridescently blue
Fruit Flesh: Amber to red with the pigment from the skin bleeding in to the flesh.
Bloom Time: Flowers are not noticeable as they are inside the fig.
Ripening Time: Late September-October
Yield: 10-15 lbs. or more per plant
Pests & Diseases: Figs are not bothered by pests or diseases in our region. Cover plants with netting if birds are a problem. Fig Mosaic Virus is a benign virus that exists in all cultivated fig trees. Yellow spotting of the leaves is a cosmetic symptom that shows more in container culture, but is quickly outgrown once trees are planted in the ground. The presence of FMV in all cultivated figs has become widely accepted, as even the national germplasm repository for figs maintained by the USDA has Fig Mosaic Virus. If the presence of FMV is a concern, then purchasing fig trees may not be the best option for you.
USDA Zone: 7b
Sunset Western Zone: 4-9, 12-24
Sunset Northeast Zone: 31, 32