About
A bushy, deciduous shrub to around 3m tall with broad green leaves, usually divided into three deeply cut lobes. Large, deep purple fruits with a silvery bloom and sweet flesh appear in the autumn.
About the genus
Ficus can be evergreen or deciduous trees, shrubs or climbers, with often leathery, simple, entire or lobed leaves and tiny flowers borne within a hollow receptacle which enlarges to form the fruit
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeChalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAlkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH4
Plant details
Plant typeShrubs, Fruit Edible
HabitBushy, Spreading branched
FoliageDeciduous
Height2.5-4 metres
Spread2.5-4 metres
Time to full height10-20 years
Suggested usesArchitectural, City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Mediterranean climate plants, Patio and container plants
ToxicityHumans/Pets: Harmful to skin with sunlight. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Care notes
CultivationBest grown fan-trained against a warm wall or fence, using a root-restriction method such as a box of paving slabs with the bottom filled with a layer of rubble or broken crocks. Also suitable for cultivation in a container. See fig cultivation
PruningRemove a third of the oldest, weakest and poorly-placed stems in early to mid spring; plants will bleed if pruned when in growth
PropagationPropagate by hardwood cuttings or by air layering
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite, thrips, mealybugs and scale insects
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to honey fungus