Common fig (Ficus carica)

The common fig (Ficus carica) is often simply called the fig tree because of its fruits and comes from Asia Minor. It is one of the oldest cultivated and useful plants in the world and is very popular here as a pot plant. Fig trees are valued for their sweet, edible, green or purple fruits. In pots, the Mediterranean plants with their decorative leaves grow to two to three meters tall. The flowers are inconspicuous. When buying, look for self-fertile varieties. The ‘Violetta’ variety, known as the Bavarian fig, is particularly robust and hardy. According to breeders, it can tolerate temperatures down to -20 degrees.