Ficus carica

Edible fig, Edible Fig

Family: Moraceae · Type: shrub · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

Edible fig is a naturalized shrub found in the Klamath Ranges, California Foothills, Sierra Nevada Foothills, Central Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, Southern California, Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges in creeks, riverbanks, floodplains, seeps, and disturbed areas at elevations below 800 meters. Flowering from March to April, this plant produces green to purple fruits 5 to 8 centimeters long. Growing to 10 meters tall with widely spreading branches, it develops a distinctive multi-lobed form. Its large leaves are palmately lobed with 3 to 7 major lobes, reaching up to 32 centimeters wide and feeling rough on the upper surface while hairy underneath. The fruits transition from green to yellow, red, or deep purple as they mature.

Habitat: Creeks, riverbanks, floodplains, seeps, disturbed areas

Bloom period: Mar-Apr

Elevation: < 800 m

Bioregions: KR, CaRF, SNF, GV, SnFrB, SCo, TR, PR

California counties: San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Kern, San Mateo, Ventura, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Inyo, Tulare, El Dorado, Amador, Santa Barbara, Sutter, Alameda, Butte, Nevada, Colusa, Fresno, Marin, Lake, Shasta, Solano, Glenn, Stanislaus, Tehama, Contra Costa, Sacramento, Napa, Yuba, Yolo, Trinity, San Luis Obispo, Placer, Sonoma, San Joaquin, Santa Cruz

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.