Desert King Fig Tree
One of the best varieties for the Northwest, Desert King Fig is very productive and reliable, producing abundant yellowish-green figs with sweet and richly flavorful, strawberry colored flesh. Because it ripens in mid summer, Desert King is a great variety for gardeners in coastal, high elevation, and other cool regions. Desert King also withstands fruit damaging late spring frosts better than any other variety we grow. Desert King is a San Pedro type fig so it will only produce a breba crop in climates where the fig wasp does not live to pollinate the main crop. This fig is so delicious we sometime call this fig the Dessert King!
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 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-fruitful.
Hardiness: Hardy to between 0° & 5° F.
Bearing Age: 1-2 years after planting.
Size at Maturity: 8-10 ft in height, smaller with pruning.
Taste: Sweet and rich flavor
Fruit Skin: Yellowish-green
Fruit Flesh: Strawberry colored
Bloom Time: Flowers are not noticeable as they are inside the fig.
Ripening Time: late July – early August
Yield: 10-15 lbs. or more per plant
Pests & Diseases: Figs are not bothered by pests 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: 7