Thermalito Fig Tree
Thermalito is a wild California fig seedling that has proven to be delicious parthenocarpic, producing figs even without the presence of the fig wasp, and is apparently even better when pollinated. Figs are similar to the best of the Adriatic figs with an intense berry flavor, deep red flesh and a yellow-green skin that gets sugar spots, and lucky for us in northern climates, it actually ripens early in the season! We’ve yet to see breba figs on them but the main crop is early enough to ripen here.
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 at least 0°F, and reports of it surviving below that
Bearing Age: 1-2 years after planting.
Size at Maturity: 10-20 ft in height, smaller with pruning.
Taste: Sweet berry, like an Adriatic fig
Fruit Skin: Yellow-green
Fruit Flesh: deep strawberry red
Bloom Time: Flowers are not noticeable as they are inside the fig.
Ripening Time: Late August-September, sometimes into 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: 7
Sunset Western Zone: 4-9, 12-24
Sunset Northeast Zone: 31, 32