# common fig (*Ficus carica*) The common fig is a sweet fruit that grows on trees. Its leaves are big and green, and the fruit can be purple, green, or yellow. Figs are tasty and can be eaten fresh or dried! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Urban areas, gardens - **Also known as:** Fig ![common fig](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/3069933/medium.jpg) Photo: Drepanostoma, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/3069933) ## Appearance The common fig is a small tree or large shrub with broad, deeply lobed green leaves. Its distinctive pear-shaped fruit starts green, ripening to purple-brown, with a soft, juicy reddish interior and tiny seeds. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Moraceae - **Genus:** Ficus ## Interesting facts - A common fig tree can live for over 100 years, growing stronger and more productive with age! - Ancient Olympic athletes ate figs for energy, calling them 'food of champions'! - Each delicious fig contains countless tiny seeds, each from a different pollinated 'flower'! - The 'fruit' you eat is actually an inside-out cluster of hundreds of tiny flowers! ## Special abilities - **Hidden Flowers:** The common fig has its hundreds of tiny flowers hidden inside the fruit, which protects them until they're ready to be pollinated. - **Wasp Partnership:** The common fig needs a tiny fig wasp to enter the fruit and pollinate its hidden flowers, helping it reproduce. - **Sticky Sap Defense:** The common fig produces a milky latex sap when damaged, which helps it heal and deters pests from eating its leaves. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 300-1000 cm - **Spread:** 300-800 cm - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Fig Wasp (*Blastophaga psenes*) — Essential for the fig's reproduction and seed formation. - **Eaten by:** [Common Blackbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-blackbird) (*Turdus merula*) — Feeds on ripe figs, helping to disperse its numerous seeds. - **Eats:** [Human](https://www.snappit.app/explore/human) (*Homo sapiens*) — Cultivated for millennia for its sweet, nutritious fruit. - **Depends on:** Mediterranean Fruit Fly (*Ceratitis capitata*) — Larvae develop inside the fruit, causing damage to crops. ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Fruit Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-tree): A fruit tree is a perennial tree that produces fruit, which is edible to humans or animals. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Ancient Lineage](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ancient-lineage): This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always wash your hands after touching plants and ask an adult before eating any fruits. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify common fig? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is common fig? 300-1000 cm ### How wide does common fig spread? 300-800 cm ### Is common fig edible? Yes ### Is common fig toxic? None ### What is common fig's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is common fig pollinated? Insect ### Where is common fig usually found? Urban areas, gardens ## Where to spot - [Cabrera Archipelago National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cabrera-archipelago-national-park) — Spain, ES · National Park - [Gulf Breeze Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gulf-breeze-zoo) — Florida, US · Zoo - [Sacramento Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sacramento-zoo) — California, US · Zoo - [California State Capitol](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/california-state-capitol) — California, US · Historic District - [Old Sacramento Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/old-sacramento-historic-district) — California, US · Historic District - [Mondragó Natural Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mondrago-natural-park) — Illes Balears, ES · Park [View all places to see common fig](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-fig) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Common Fig: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-fig)