Ficus is an interesting genus that is not nearly as common in the Santa Clara Valley as it is in coastal Southern California. Several species that are grown as houseplants here are used in landscapes there. Without damaging frosts, even the more tropical species grow into mid-sized trees. Some are even popular street trees. Creeping fig that grows on some local freeway sound-walls is much more common among Southern California freeways and climbs some of the interchanges.

The strangest ficus tree that I have seen in Southern California grows at the foundation of the former residence of James Dean. It is actually quite homely. The large, thin leaves are covered with orange fuzz. Hard green figs develop at the distended base of the trunk. My colleague (You can guess who.) with his boyhood friends enjoyed throwing them at cars on Olympic Boulevard.

Fruiting figs, my favorite ficus, fortunately perform very well in the Santa Clara Valley. They are deciduous and therefore do not mind cool winter weather. Unlike ornamental ficus, fruiting figs should be pruned during winter dormancy like other deciduous fruit trees. Because of unseasonably warm weather this winter, figs that are to be pruned should have been pruned already. Late pruning can damage trees that have resumed vascular activity and become foliated.

Healthy figs produce two types of fruit. Summer figs emerge with new foliage during spring from stems that grew during the previous summer. They are not so profuse, but are larger and softer than later figs. After the first figs have abscised, autumn figs appear at axillary buds, above where leaves originate. These figs typically ripen just prior to defoliation during autumn. They are more profuse, but are smaller and ‘chewier’. Summer figs are best for eating fresh. Autumn figs are best for canning or drying.

If more summer figs are preferred, pruning should be as minimal as practical to preserve stems that grew during the previous summer. Not many will develop on stems more than a year old. Of course some pruning is necessary to maintain shape and structure of healthy trees.

Summer figs are unfortunately not always reliable. Even the most productive trees may experience environmental or cultural discomforts that may cause premature abscission of most or all summer figs. Some trees may not produce any summer figs for many years.

Autumn figs develop regardless of the extent of pruning but can be maximized by inhibiting development of summer figs with severe pruning. I actually pollard my ‘Black Mission’ fig which consequently produces copious figs only once each autumn. The ‘Brown Turkey’ fig at the nursery does not get pruned and is a gnarly mess, but produces two phases of excellent figs.