Ficus carica 'Desert King'

The Desert King fig tree is a vigorous fig cultivar that produces abundant crops of large, sweet, yellowish-green fruits with purple flesh. One of the earliest figs to ripen, Desert King Fig is very productive and reliable in cool summer climates. This self-pollinating fig will start producing fruits both old and new shoots 2 years after planting. The fruit of Ficus carica 'Desert King' has a moderately closed eye which helps to avoid spoiling while it ripens on the tree. Desert King Figs are excellent for fresh eating.

This green fig tree can grow up to 20 feet or more in height, but the size can be easily kept around 6 to 8 feet through proper pruning practices. It withstands late spring frost better than any other cultivars. Figs are relatively drought tolerant but prefer to grow in moist soil under full sun to part shade.

Ficus carica 'Desert King' will set two crops in a year, a Breba crop first (the first fig harvest of the year, ripening in late spring or early summer on the previous year's wood), and a smaller main crop later in the season. However, in short and cool summer regions such as Canada, only the first crop will ripen. The breba crop will be produced on previous year wood, so pruning more than half of the growth should be avoided. The first harvest will be abundant, and ripen in mid-late summer. The second crop (the main crop) will be light and ripen in mid-fall, only in warmer climates.

Desert King fig tree is hardy to zone 7a. It grows well in containers year-round. It is recommended to keep it outdoors in summer, and move it indoors during the winter period (from November to March). This deciduous shrub will shed its leaves in the fall and slowly go into dormancy during winter. It requires less water during dormancy, but the soil should never be completely dry.