What tree is this? Fig

Hi guys,
Anyone know what tree this is and if I can eat the fruit?
Looks a bit like a fig to me.

I would say a fig!

I agree! It is a fig, yummy.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_fig

Cool!
The tree is on my dog walking route.
How do I know when the fruits are ready for picking?
Cheers 😊

You can feel it when the figs are ripe and ready to eat. The become soft and later they become dark. I think figs tastes better when they are dark but you can also eat them green. We always try them when we go to warm countries in europe and we never had problems when eating a non ripe fig.

When they’re ripe then they’ll be soft and easy to twist off. If it’s a self-pollinating fig tree, the figs should be tasty.

However if it’s a pollinator (Capri) tree, they’ll taste awful even when ripe.

If it’s a hermaphrodite, they’ll be good if the figs last long enough on the tree.

Fig flavours vary vastly depending on the cultivar, like grapes. It’s why there’s a whole fig growers subculture devoted to collecting different flavours.

Tim Kivi wrote:When they’re ripe then they’ll be soft and easy to twist off. If it’s a self-pollinating fig tree, the figs should be tasty.

However if it’s a pollinator (Capri) tree, they’ll taste awful even when ripe.

If it’s a hermaphrodite, they’ll be good if the figs last long enough on the tree.

Fig flavours vary vastly depending on the cultivar, like grapes. It’s why there’s a whole fig growers subculture devoted to collecting different flavours.

Time out, fig trees are pollinated by a single species of wasp, there are no hermaphrodite fig trees nor are they single sex trees, where ever you got that information it was simply wrong.

garden guides

figweb

Redhawk

To my understanding Common (self pollinating) figs don’t use a wasp to produce figs, they produce figs completely on their own. Or maybe they all have their own wasps that never leave the developing fig? Smyrna figs need a wasp to pollinate. San Pedro fig cultivars need a wasp for 2 crops a year, but will produce figs once a year without a wasp.

Cite your sources please, I know of no fig that is "self pollinating" anywhere in the world, including the strangler fig tree.

I put in two links with the information in my last post.

What we eat as a Fig is actually the flower of the tree, they are not a true fruit and they will ripen without being pollinated but you will not get any seeds that will germinate without the wasp laying its eggs inside the flower and thusly pollinating the fig.

There is so much misinformation running around out in the world today that you really need to check the source and if they are just "repeating what they heard", I would feel that they were not properly informed.

Redhawk

Tim is right,  common figs are parthenocarpic and do not require pollination to produce fruit, hence the reason it's the only kind grown in Florida, like Celeste, Chicago cold hardy,  brown turkey etc.  Caprifigs, San Pedro and Smyrna do require a specific wasp for pollination. The leaf of the fig above looks like Chicago cold hardy to me.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/fruits/figs.html%23targetText%3DCommon%2520figs%2520are%2520parthenocarpic%252C%2520meaning,cultivars%2520adapted%2520for%2520the%2520south.&ved=2ahUKEwi29NDsyLzkAhXhQd8KHXuVD54QFjABegQIDBAH&usg=AOvVaw3ptGM2HToTBKTvtydKWDnK

@ GA Shaw, looks like you have a good source for propagation material. They grow well from cuttings.

Citation Dan, I asked for a scientific citation to read.  
Here's an example of what I want provided as the proof of what you are saying: TAMU.ED fig paper
Figs are not fruits, figs are an inside out flower, if you don't know that, then I doubt your information is even partly correct.
I grow figs In fact I grow Celeste and Brown Turkey figs, I have done lots of research on figs and without a scientific paper being cited, it is just hearsay.
Anyone who says figs are a fruit doesn't have proper knowledge of the family. We eat them like a fruit but they do not fit the accepted definition of a fruit.

Redhawk  

I am trying my first attempt at rooting cuttings. In deer heavy territory i am finding that figs are deer resistant. At least for established species 4 to 6ft tall. A new planting (1ft tall) is getting eaten. If this is my pattern, i can remove the cage after a couple of years. This makes it a valuable crop but need to experiment on eating them. The most intriguing was youtube channel deepsouth homestead. They can them in a simple syrup and most mornings that is their breakfast.

hau Wayne, Figs are pretty deer and donkey proof (I think it is the hairy leaves that put them off), good luck with your cuttings (they should do great).

We can our figs in a "light simple syrup" which Wolf makes up 1 cup superfine sugar to 2 cups water is how she makes it.
Pack in the whole, almost ripe figs and cover with syrup to the fill ring on the jar and water bath can them. Or you can pressure can them but it really isn't necessary.

Currently we have 3 full sized trees but next year I'm expanding the fig orchard numbers to 14.

Redhawk

I was using the term fruit loosely,  because like you said that's how we treat them. I am aware that it is an inverted flower.  I assumed that a university publication would be reasonably acceptable proof.  I see them called "fruits" in other university publications as well. Semantics aside,  I will stand by my position on the basis of commonly accepted knowledge. I read the paper you posted from Tamu.ed, and it also calls figs a fruit and makes no mention of pollenization. I don't see how it's any different than the citation that I gave, they both come from universities, other than that the citation I gave actually touched on pollenization requirements or lack thereof. This is how we learn,  by sharing information. I will be happy to accept that my stance is wrong when I see evidence to the contrary.  Here is a second university publication, with citations to professors in the footnotes.
UFL.edu
HS27/MG214: The Fig - UF/IFAS EDIS - University of Florida

Edit: your citation does touch on pollenization,  I overlooked it,  however it confirms that common figs are parthenocarpic and require no pollenization.

I have only eaten one fig in my life. As a kid i was gigging for catfish and there was a fig tree. I grabbed one and bit into it. Omg. The inside was full of bugs. My first and last attempt for me. Lol.

35 years later i am ready to give it another try. Actually i am excited about it. It could be a good food source for me. Expanding the number of trees by cuttings kind of moves it up on the list also.

I got my fig trees by pinching off a leaf with a small piece of stem, I have brown turkey, Celeste and Chicago hardy.  My Chicago hardy is producing figs right now here in zone 5, in a pot.

Dan Allen wrote:I was using the term fruit loosely,  because like you said that's how we treat them. I am aware that it is an inverted flower.  I assumed that a university publication would be reasonably acceptable proof.  I see them called "fruits" in other university publications as well. Semantics aside,  I will stand by my position on the basis of commonly accepted knowledge. I read the paper you posted from Tamu.ed, and it also calls figs a fruit and makes no mention of pollenization. I don't see how it's any different than the citation that I gave, they both come from universities, other than that the citation I gave actually touched on pollenization requirements or lack thereof. This is how we learn,  by sharing information. I will be happy to accept that my stance is wrong when I see evidence to the contrary.  Here is a second university publication, with citations to professors in the footnotes.
UFL.edu
HS27/MG214: The Fig - UF/IFAS EDIS - University of Florida

I have the feeling that we are miscommunicating, for that I apologize.

Hey Bryant,  no apology necessary.  It's perfectly fine to disagree in this way and I value your input.

We seem to be saying the same thing in slightly different ways is all.

This year I have finally found two of the wasps that do the pollinating of figs buzzing around Lazarus (our first fig tree that has come back from total freeze three times now).
I'm hoping to be able to give growing a fig tree from seed a try, not holding my breath though, but I'm hopeful.

Our chooks love it when we find figs that have been dropped because we toss them into their area. They look like mini T-rex's running to a juicy meal, quite fun to watch them fight over the figs. (they do the same for the tomato horn worms)

This thread is pretty old but in it I almost did a dissertation on ficus. another fig thread

We dug up (really hacked out of compacted gravel) three green type fig trees at a former residence that got torn down and turned into a park and planted them at our house 28 years ago. At one point they got to be 14 foot tall, but a deep freeze a few years back killed them down to the ground. Now some years along we are back to an embarrassment of riches, with basket full amounts of figs daily. A couple of observations;

When picking a fresh, ripe fig to eat, split it open and brush the ants and other bugs out of it.

Wear long sleeves when working in the fig leaves, I’ve found that the sap or whatever is on the leaves can cause dermatitis if not quickly washed off.

For future killer freezes we are looking at what materials we have on hand to insulate the main stems to provide a quick recovery in the spring. Thinking a combo of burlap, chicken wire and leaves and possibly some old bubble wrap we’ve saved. Another method I’ve read about (I think regarding orange trees further south) is to spray the tree with warm water when it gets cold enough and the ice will provide protection.

Figs grow well in pots and can be kept indoors during winter if needed. All the popular varieties you find in stores are self-fertile (so no wasp or pollinator needed). Figs are simple to grow from cuttings because grafting’s unnecessary. There’s a panoply of different flavours available depending on the cultivar (the best ones taste just like jam!), and for these reasons a whole fig growing subculture exists.

I’m in the process of eventually growing about 20 fig cultivars in 5-20 gallon (20-80 litre) pots, all in my paved courtyard.