Self-Fertile Fig Varieties: No Wasp Required
Fig pollination is the strangest arrangement in temperate fruit growing, and it is worth understanding before buying. Smyrna and San Pedro figs require a specific insect — the fig wasp — to crawl inside the fruit and pollinate it, and that wasp does not survive outside a narrow band of climate. Plant one of those types in most of the country and it will drop every fig it sets, indefinitely, for reasons no amount of feeding or pruning will fix.
Common-type figs sidestep it entirely: they develop fruit parthenocarpically, with no pollination of any kind, which is why they are the only sensible choice for nearly every grower. These 15 are all common types. From there the decisions are climate ones — hardiness for northern gardens, and whether the variety carries a breba crop on last year's wood as well as the main crop on new growth, which matters because a hard winter takes the breba and leaves the main crop intact. Sorted by hardiness.
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| Variety | Zones | Ripens | Notes | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Hardy | 5-10 | Aug-Oct | sweet — Roots survive to zone 5 even if the top dies back | Browse growers |
| Brown Turkey | 6-10 | July-Sept (light breba plus main crop) | mild, mellow-sweet; reliable fresh eatingThe most widely sold, forgiving beginner fig; adaptable and productive, but the name covers several strains so buy from a reputable source. | Buy $49.85 |
| Celeste | 6-9 | Late July-Aug | very sweet amber-to-rose flesh; excellent fresh, dried, or preservedThe classic Southern 'sugar fig'; its closed eye makes it a top pick for humid regions where other figs sour, though heavy loads can drop in a hot early summer. Bears a single heavy main crop. | Browse growers |
| Marseille | 6-9 | Late July, sometimes a second crop in a hot summer | small, sweet and rich; green-yellow to nearly white skin with rose seedy fleshA white fig, also known as White Genoa, that NC State says was brought to the US by Thomas Jefferson and is rumored to have been his favorite. It produces on new wood, so it can be pruned back hard in early spring to maintain shape. At zone 6 it sits at the cold end of its range and needs winter protection. | Browse growers |
| Olympian | 6-9 | July breba, then Aug-Sept main crop | very large green-and-purple fruit, sweet violet flesh; good freshA cold-hardy heirloom rediscovered in Olympia, Washington that ripens two crops early enough for shorter, cool-summer seasons but also takes Southern humidity. | Buy $92.65 |
| Violette de Bordeaux | 6-9 | Aug-Sept | rich, jammy, deep-berry; among the best-flavored dark figsA naturally dwarf, top-flavor fig prized for small spaces and pot culture, letting cold-climate growers move it to shelter in winter. | Buy $28.99 |
| Alma | 7-9 | Late Aug-Oct | rich, very sweet amber pulp; excellent fresh and preservedA Texas A&M release (1975) valued for outstanding sweetness and an eye sealed with a drop of resin that resists spoilage in humid heat, though it ripens late and needs a long, warm season. | Browse growers |
| Black Mission | 7-10 | June breba, then Aug-Oct main crop | rich, intense, deep-sweet; excellent both fresh and driedThe California standard for flavor and drying, giving two crops in long-season areas but wants heat and space and is only marginally cold-hardy. | Buy $39.95 |
| Hunt | 7-9 | July | good fresh, excellent for preserving; small pear-shaped fruit, dull bronze with white specks and violet-brown tonesRated very cold hardy with a closed eye by UF/IFAS, and listed in Clemson's fig variety table as good fresh and excellent for preserving. The closed eye is its practical advantage in the humid Southeast, where an open ostiole invites souring. Zones reflect the South Carolina range Clemson grows it across rather than a published cultivar-specific figure. | Browse growers |
| Kadota | 7-10 | Aug-Oct | mild, low-seed, thick greenish-yellow skin; best for canning, preserves, and dryingThe classic light-skinned canning fig; needs abundant summer heat to ripen its late main crop and benefits from heavy pruning. | Buy $39.95 |
| Little Ruby | 7-10 | — | Listed by NC State as a dwarf variety with a closed eye that can be grown in a pot.The closed ostiole is the trait that matters in humid regions, and dwarf habit makes it practical to move under cover for winter in cold zones. Zones given here are the species range from the NC State toolbox, not a cultivar-specific figure. | Buy $28.99 |
| LSU Purple | 7-9 | July through frost (often several flushes) | mild, sweet, berry note; good freshLSU AgCenter release that fruits on very young plants (1-2 years) and can give up to three crops a season, making it ideal for small Gulf-Coast gardens. | Browse growers |
| Magnolia | 7-11 | Mid-July through August | fair fresh, excellent for preserves; pink to amber flesh with tiny seedsOne of the largest figs in the trade, bronze-red with an open ostiole. Rated fair fresh but excellent for preserving, which is the reason to grow it. The open eye means insects get in, so pick promptly and expect souring pressure in wet years. | Browse growers |
| Osborne Prolific | 7-9 | Aug-Sept | very sweet, rich amber-to-strawberry flesh; dessert-quality freshA dependable low-heat cropper that ripens well in the Pacific Northwest and cool coastal North where heat-lovers struggle; fruit sizes up larger in cool climates. | Buy $39.95 |
| LSU Gold | 8-10 | July-Sept | large and sweet — A warm-climate favorite | Browse growers |