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Posted by on Jun 5, 2015 in TellMeWhy |

Do Fig Trees Have Flowers?

Do Fig Trees Have Flowers?

Do Fig Trees Have Flowers? Yes, fig trees have flowers. Hidden inside the fig itself, there are many tiny, true flowers which produce pollen and what we call “seeds.” A little hole at the top of the fig, called the eye of the fig, permits a tiny insect (known as the fig wasp) to enter and pollinate the flowers.

The fig tree is relatively small, reaching a height of 10 to 30 feet when mature. It has a pleasing, well-spread form with leaves that are up to 10 inches long and divided into 3 or more lobes. The tree also has a shallow, but quite broad root system, which can cover an area as large as 50 square feet.

Although it flowers in early to mid spring, its tiny, greenish blossoms are hidden from view, with a dozen or more developing inside a receptacle, called a syncomium. The receptacle ripens as the season progresses, eventually becoming the tree’s fruit, or fig.

People enjoy figs fresh, canned, preserved or pickled. The soft juicy fruit is so perishable, however, that most of it is sent to the market sun-dried. This is easy to do because the fig tree grows mainly in hot, dry climates. Figs are also used in bakery products, such as fig bars and cakes.

Content for this question contributed by Jeannie Jenkins, resident of, Lincolnton, Lincoln County, North Carolina, USA