Many different fig tree types have been grown since ancient times, and it’s easy to understand why.
Whether you choose to grow the plant for ornamental purposes or to enjoy the sweet fruits that can be eaten fresh, dried, preserved in jams, or even prepared in desserts, there is no shortage of ways to use a fig tree.
But with hundreds of different species, where do you even begin? Read on to learn about 21 amazing types of fig trees!
Chicago Hardy Fig
The Chicago Hardy Fig is an excellent type of fig tree to grow at home. As its name suggests, it’s cold and hardy, able to grow in most parts of the United States.
Even if it dies back in the winter, it typically resumes growth in the spring. And not only can this fig tree withstand cold weather, but it’s also drought and heat-resistant, too.
This Chicago Hardy Fig tree produces sweet-tasting fruit that’s brownish purple on the outside and pink on the inside. Check availability.
Brown Turkey Fig
The Brown Turkey Fig is an extremely popular fig tree variety. Its fruit is medium-sized, brown or reddish-purple in color. And it’s perfect for eating!
If space is limited, this plant can be grown directly in the ground or in containers. If it has the space to grow, it will reach between 10 and 30 feet tall. Of course, if you opt for container growing, it won’t grow quite so big.
As a bonus, the Brown Turkey Fig tree may give you two fruit harvests if you live somewhere with a long growing season. Check availability.
Black Mission Fig
Best grown in warmer climates, the Black Mission Fig is an excellent option to grow plenty of fruit! This tree is one of the most prolific types of fig trees, starting fruit production at a younger age than other varieties and producing two crops per year.
Black Mission Figs are known for their wonderfully rich, sweet, and delicious flavor.
Plus, they’re relatively easy to grow. These plants are low maintenance, hardy, and grow well in or out of containers. Check availability.
Celeste Fig
The Celeste Fig, otherwise known as the Sugar Fig, is a favorite type of fig tree for various reasons. Commonly grown in California and the Southeast, it is both heat tolerant and somewhat cold hardy.
The fruit ranges from pink to violet, and it tastes deliciously sweet. Its unique shape with a closed eye (a hole at the tip of the fruit that is usually open) makes it more resistant to pests and diseases, too. Check availability.
Violette de Bordeaux Fig
The Violette de Bordeaux Fig, also known as the Negronne Fig, is an heirloom fig tree variety that experts consider one of the finest. It’s a dwarf variety that grows just 10 feet tall, producing small to medium-sized figs.
Like candy, this fig’s flavor is complex, rich, and sweet. Plus, its fragrance is unlike any other. Even its appearance stands out, with flesh that is a deep shade of strawberry red, darker than any other fig. On the outside, the Violette de Bordeaux Fig is a dark, nearly black shade of purple. Check availability.
Kadota Fig
Best grown in warm regions, the Kadota Fig Tree is one of the best to grow for dried and preserved figs. With a particularly sweet, honey-flavored fruit, it has a truly distinct flavor that makes it perfect for preservation.
On the outside, the fruit is yellow-green. On the inside, it has white skin with striking amber flesh.
In addition, the Kadota Fig tree is an easy type of fig tree to grow. It’s highly adaptable, has hardy roots, and only requires light pruning. Just remember it needs plenty of sunlight and a long growing season.
Little Miss Figgy
Little Miss Figgy is a dwarf fig tree that grows just four to eight feet tall. This site makes it distinct from other types of fig trees and useful in unique ways.
Little Miss Figgy trees are perfect for container growing if your space is limited or you live in a colder climate. Some people even grow this tree as an ornamental plant or privacy hedge.
If you do opt to grow your fig tree in a container indoors, visit our guide about How to Grow an Indoor Fig.
Despite its smaller size, Little Miss Figgy still produces fruits that are perfect for eating. And it produces fruit in its first year! Check availability.
Olympian Fig
Olympian Fig trees are best known for their particularly large fruits, which can grow to the size of a tennis ball. Olympian Figs are also incredibly versatile and great for eating fresh, drying, or preserving.
Even though the fruits themselves are quite big, the tree is on the smaller side. It typically grows between eight and 10 feet tall, making it another great option for container growing.
First discovered in Olympia, Washington, this type of fig tree is especially cold and hardy. So if you live in a cooler climate, this may be the best fig tree variety for you. Check availability.
Desert King Fig
The Desert King Fig is another fig tree variety that’s good for cooler climates, as they’re also cold and hardy. It’s an excellent option for coastal regions, like the Pacific Northwest, and high elevation.
The plant is highly productive, growing two different crops of delicious fruits. When eaten, the figs taste sweet and juicy.
These figs have a unique appearance, with a bright red flesh that contrasts with their deep green exterior. The tree also produces grayish-green leaves and white flowers, making it a great choice for an ornamental plant. Check availability.
LSU Purple Fig
Named for its development at Louisiana State University, the LSU Purple Fig was bred for unique characteristics. This fig tree variety is a high producer, generating not just two but three crops each growing season once it matures. Plus, it can even produce fruits within its first year if you’re lucky!
The fruits themselves are also unique. They have fewer seeds than other fig varieties. They have a striking appearance, with a bright red interior that starkly contrasts the plum-colored exterior.
Lastly, the LSU Purple Fig is low maintenance, pest-resistant, and disease resistant. Just keep in mind that it grows best in warmer climates. Check availability.
Texas Everbearing Fig
Although many consider the Texas Everbearing Fig just another name for the Brown Turkey Fig, some growers argue that these types of fig trees are distinct. Although they’re quite similar and their fruits taste the same, there are noticeable differences in these plants’ leaves and growing patterns.
Perhaps unsurprising, this fig tree variety is most commonly grown in Texas. However, it’s cold hardy like the Brown Turkey Fig, so it can also be grown in somewhat cooler climates.
The fruit is bell-shaped, brownish purple, and pink on the inside. And it tastes wonderfully sweet! Check availability.
Peter’s Honey Fig
Brought to the United States from Sicily, Peter’s Honey Fig is a tasty fruit that tastes like honey. Some say it has a texture that nearly melts in your mouth.
This small fruit is yellow-green on the outside and amber on the inside.
This type of fig tree can be used for a variety of purposes. In addition to producing delicious fruit, its unique appearance with shiny lobed leaves makes it an excellent ornamental plant. Plus, a height that can grow between 10 and 25 feet tall makes an excellent shade tree!
Black Jack Fig
The Black Jack Fig tree is a semi-dwarf fig tree that grows between 10 and 15 feet tall. With regular pruning, you can keep it even smaller, making it great for growing containers if that is your preferred method.
Black Jack Figs are similar in appearance to Brown Turkey Figs; they’re deep purple or brown on the outside, with lovely pink-colored flesh on the inside.
This type of fig tree does best in warmer climates and produces the sweetest fruit when it’s hot. But you can rest easy knowing it’s cold and drought-tolerant, too.
Italian Honey Fig
The Italian Honey Fig, also known as the Lattarulla Fig, is another fig tree variety that’s great for cooler climates, shorter growing seasons, and container growing. In warmer climates with longer seasons, it can produce two separate crops. Although it is fine in colder weather, you should expect only one crop.
These figs are sweet, like honey, with a green color on the outside and golden flesh on the inside. It’s best eaten fresh off the tree at room temperature, so don’t wait to enjoy it when it ripens! Check availability.
LSU Gold Fig
Like the LSU Purple Fig, the LSU Gold Fig was developed at Louisiana State University. And because it was selectively bred, it also has excellent qualities that make it a great fig tree to grow at home.
This tree grew particularly well in the Southeast and was bred to withstand humidity. Still, it performs well in cooler climates, too.
It’s a heavy producer that generates large golden figs. The fruit’s flesh is a shade of pink or ruby, and its flavor profile resembles honey. Check availability.
Banana Fig
Banana Fig Trees are unique because they’re endemic to Queensland, Australia, and aren’t found elsewhere.
The fruits themselves are medium in size. As you would expect, they’re yellow on the outside, and as they ripen, they develop spots like bananas. On the inside, banana figs are a surprisingly pink color. If you’re lucky enough to taste one, you’ll find that its flavor is sweet and rich.
Panache Tiger Fig
The Panache Tiger Fig stands out for the distinctive green and yellow stripes that adorn the fruit’s exterior. It’s small-to-medium in size, with flesh that’s a vibrant red color. Although it’s drier than other fig varieties, it tastes sweet and berry-like. It’s excellent for eating fresh, dried, or preserved!
The Panache Tiger Fig Tree usually grows between 12 and 15 feet tall. This fig tree variety is highly productive. However, its harvest comes late in the season, typically between August and November. For this reason, the plant requires warm weather and a long growing season. Check availability.
Little Ruby Fig
One of the best types of fig trees to grow in containers is the Little Ruby Fig. Usually growing under six feet tall and producing tiny, bite-sized fruits; it’s a true dwarf plant.
However, don’t let the small size of this plant fool you, as it’s quite strong and easy to grow. It’s extremely cold and hardy with a closed eye, making it highly productive and resistant to spoiling.
The fruit is similar in flavor to the Chicago Hardy Fig. It has the sweetness characteristic of figs, with notes of jam. Check availability.
Osborne Prolific Fig
The Osborne Prolific Fig, otherwise known as the Neverella fig tree, is a popular type of fig tree in the Pacific Northwest and other areas with cooler climates. It’s cold, hardy, and a good option to grow in containers, making it perfect for these regions.
Osborne Prolific Figs are medium in size, dark brownish-purple on the outside and amber on the inside. They have a light flavor that’s ideal for preserves and jams.
Yellow Fig
Common in Southern California, Yellow Fig Trees are great fig trees to grow in tropical climates. Although it doesn’t do well in colder weather, it is resistant to many pests and diseases.
These trees grow to around 12 feet tall, producing fruits with bright yellow skin. Yellow Figs have a sweet, candy-like flavor.
Beer’s Black Fig
Similar in appearance to Violette de Bordeaux Figs, Beers Black Figs are medium-sized fruits with a purple exterior. On the inside, they’re rich magenta.
Despite their resemblance to Violette de Bordeaux Figs, Beers Black Figs have a distinct flavor. They’re sweet with a buttery texture that makes them a delicious treat.
These fig trees grow best in warmer climates and produce fruit after two to three years. You can also expect two separate harvests so that you can enjoy these figs even more! Check availability.
Wrapping Up Fig Tree Types
With hundreds of different types of fig trees out there, this list only scratches the surface. But you can’t go wrong with so many great options, including fig trees for a range of climates, different sizes, and distinct flavors.
If you’re interested in more content about fig trees, including these wonderful varieties, growing tips, and more, visit our fig trees page!