Brown Turkey Fig

Description

Botanical Name:   Ficus carica L. ‘Brown Turkey’

Common Name:    Brown Turkey Fig

Description:    First off, this is a non-native fruit tree. It is native to the Mediterranean. It is one of the best varieties to grow in our area of Florida because of its cold hardiness. The fruit is great for jams, canning, drying, freezing, and eating fresh right off the tree. Prune in late fall to encourage next year’s crop.

This deciduous single-trunk tree or multi-branched shrub matures at  15 – 20 feet tall and wide. Is fast growing. The roots can spread further than the canopy, so give it lots of room to roam, and don’t plant it too close to the house, driveway, or patios.

This fig sets a small crop of fruit in the spring called breba fruit. That crop ripens in July, and then the main crop comes out about a month later. The fruit is medium-large in size with brown to purple skin and red interior. It has a mild, sweet flavor. It is self-pollinating, which means you don’t need more than one fig tree for it to set fruit. These plants already have the breba fruit on them on May 8, 2025.

How do you know when figs are ready to pick? It’s important to watch for the skin to fully color and for the fruit to soften. You want to be sure that it doesn’t get mushy, though! If you notice the fruit necks wilting and hanging down, that means the figs are ready to be picked.

Give it slightly acidic pH in well drained clay, sandy, or loamy soil. Has moderate drought tolerance once established. Likes moist to somewhat dry soil. I wouldn’t plant it in a very dry and sandy area. Plant in the sun to part sun areas of your garden. It does like a bit of shade from our hot afternoon summer sun.

Is considered somewhat deer resistant.

Moderate tolerance to salty soil near the coast. Moderate tolerance to salt wind.

This plant in 3-gallon containers is 2 – 4 feet tall.

Plant Lore:  These figs are parthenocarpic, meaning that the fruits form without fertilization. Genus name Ficus comes from the Latin name for the edible fig. Specific epithet, carica, refers to Caria, a region in Anatolia (Asia Minor) known for growing figs.

Florida Hardiness Zones 8 – 10