Flora & Fauna in Spain
Common Fig
The common fig, known as a higo in Spanish, is believed to be indigenous to western Asia and brought to the Mediterranean area by man. Fossils of the fig have been found in excavations of sites dating back to 5,000BC.
The fig is a deciduous tree, growing to a height of 6-10 metres, but generally spreads wider rather than tall. The tree has a smooth grey bark and the wood is very weak and decays quickly. The white milky latex sap of the tree and fruit nodes has been found to be a skin irritant. Roots are greedy, travelling far beyond the tree canopy, making then unsuitable for growing in small places or containers.
The large bright green leaves are usually around 12-25 centimetres in length and 10-18 centimetres wide with 3 or 5 deep lobes to form their distinctive shape. They have a rough hairy upper surface and soft hairy underside.
The flowers are invisible! The tiny flowers of the fig are out of sight because they grow inside the green ‘fruit’, technically known as a synconium. In the case of the common fig the flowers are all female so need no pollination. There are other types of fig which have male flowers too and these are pollinated by a visiting tiny wasp that gains access to the flowers through an apex of the synconium.
The trees are widely grown for the fruit, which grows to 3-5 centimetres in length with a green skin, often ripening towards purple or brown. Rain during fruit development and ripening can cause the fruit to split. The mature fruit has a tough peel, often cracking upon ripeness, exposing the pulp inside. The interior is a white inner rind containing a mass of edible seeds bound with a jelly-like flesh.
The figs should not be picked until fully ripened as they will not continue to ripen once harvested. The fruits can be eaten fresh or may be dried and are suitable for jam and wine-making. They also freeze well. Once picked the fruit does not keep fresh without refrigeration or transport well so most commercial production requires the fruit to be dried or processed.
Nutritionally, the fig is one of the highest plant sources of calcium and fibre. According to USDA data a dried fig is richest in fibre, copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium, calcium and vitamin K, relative to human needs. Figs also have a laxative effect and contain many antioxidants.
It is possible for the tree to produce two crops a year. The first, known as the breba crop, develop in the spring on the previous years growth. The main crop develops on the current years shoots and ripens in the late summer. The main crop is generally superior in quality and quantity than the breba crop.
New trees can be propagated from healthy twig cuttings, planted straight into a sandy soil mix. These should be kept in a shady area until new growth begins and then gradually moved into the full sun. It is not recommended to grow from seed as this has been known to produce non-fruiting trees.
The use of a fig leaf as a protector of modesty is seen in many nude paintings and sculptures.
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