You’ve heard of the Easter lily. But what about the Easter fig?
Traditionally, it doesn’t take much effort to find a number of articles published about the Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum) during Easter season. Fortunately, this article won’t be one of them. Instead, here is an article about the edible fig. Why the lowly fig (Ficus carica L; family Moracea) and not the majestic lily? What do figs have to do with Easter?
In the Christian calendar, the week between Palm Sunday and Easter is called Holy Week, or Passion Week. There are several events that are very significant during this time as it is the last week of Jesus’s life. When one becomes familiar with the events of Holy Week, one will actually find a story in the Bible focusing on figs but not a single peep about lilies.
The story of the Easter fig can be found in the Bible
in Mark (11:12-14;2024) and Matthew (21:1822) as a miracle in connection with Jesus’s arrival in Jerusalem for the Passover. Jesus was hungry, came upon a fig tree looking to pick a few and was disappointed when it was not the correct time of year for figs. St. Luke records his fig story as a parable of Jesus (Luke 13:6-9). Of interest, Luke’s version actually addresses several important gardening skills such as soil preparation, the use of soil amendments and using fertilizers.
But that was then … what about now?
Figs are not native to the Western Hemisphere but rather find their native home in the soils of the Mediterranean basin.
Figs made their way to our Florida coast by Spanish explorers, settlers and missionary clergy around 1575. And the rest is history.
The fig is a deciduous tree that can reach heights of 50 feet, yet, in our area, they are commonly multiplebranched shrubs growing to 25 feet max.
Only a few species of figs do well here in our hardiness zone (9A-9B); the common or brown fig is our champ. It is not difficult to find healthy fruitproducing fig trees thriving throughout our fivecounty region. ‘Brown turkey’, ‘Celeste, and ‘Alma’ are good varieties to try. ‘Mission’ figs are a catalog favorite but are not recommended for the southeast United States due to our climate and cold temperatures.
Fruits ripen between July and October and their size and taste vary according to the variety.
Bare-root figs can be planted anytime during the dormant season, but late winter or early spring is best; container-grown plants can be planted any time of the year. But the humid growing season in Florida can enhance insect, disease pressure, and fruit splitting.
Figs are sun lovers so plant them “sunny side up.” Be aware that fig trees will often shade out competing vegetation below the tree canopy.
Figs love to drink during fruiting season but do not like wet feet.
So, we have come circle. The biblical story of the Easter fig ends with the desire for the luscious, tasty figs to be ready to eat, even as I, too, wish that the delicious figs on my tree were ready.
I’ll have to wait just a while longer, but the Easter fig is on my mind. For more information on growing figs, go to: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ publication/MG214.
Ed Bez is a UF/IFAS master gardener volunteer and president of the Biblical Garden Society.