Fig Tree Rouge de Bordeaux - Ficus carica

The Red Bordeaux Fig (Ficus carica) or Pastiliere is an early variety with low development, perfect for container cultivation or small spaces. It produces beautiful fruits with a blue, almost black skin and sweet, fragrant flesh. It is a self-fertile variety with good cold resistance. It is unifere, meaning it bears fruit once a year, in early August. The Fig tree is a deciduous, hardy tree that enjoys a sunny exposure. Plant in the autumn-winter, frost-free period (or in spring for colder regions).

The Red Bordeaux Fig produces beautiful fruits with a blue, almost black skin and sweet, fragrant flesh. Figs are used in sweet dishes (tarts, clafoutis, compotes, etc) or savory dishes paired with goat cheese, dry-cured ham, or foie gras. After harvesting, refrigeration is not recommended as it alters the flavors and the skin may suffer from humidity and condensation. The best way to enjoy them is fresh, and tasting them under the tree will preserve their honey-like fragrance.

Among the varieties of Fig trees, we distinguish:

- unifere varieties, which produce a single harvest per year, quite abundant, in early autumn

- bifere varieties, which bear fruit twice a year, producing figs called 'fig flowers' in early summer, appearing on the wood of the previous year, and autumn figs, developing on the branches of the current year.

The Red Bordeaux variety is a unifere variety, bearing fruit from early August. The harvest will be done in several stages, as the figs ripen. This variety is self-fertile and parthenocarpic, meaning it can produce fruit without fertilization. It does not require other Fig trees and does not rely on the intervention of the fig wasp, the only pollinating insect of the fig tree, which is too delicate to survive in cold climates.

Originally from Turkey and Asia Minor, the Fig tree (Ficus carica) belongs to the Moraceae family. It is a small, vigorous deciduous tree with a rounded and upright habit, often with a twisted trunk, reaching 2 to 3m (7 to 10ft) in height and 3 to 4m (10 to 13ft) in width for this variety. The leaves are rough, bright green turning yellow in autumn, finely velvety, relatively large (sometimes 20cm (8in) long) and have a long petiole. The lamina is deeply divided into three to seven lobes with serrated edges (most often five) of variable shape, with a velvety underside and prominent veins. The wood is soft and spongy, the bark is gray and smooth. The root system of this small tree is powerful, spreading in all directions. The Fig tree is often considered one of the most beautiful fruit trees. Its unique foliage gives it an ornamental aspect and provides a shaded space, which is very pleasant during the summer heat. Plant the Fig tree sheltered by a wall that will protect it from the cold during severe winters, with a south or southwest exposure, together with Pomegranate, White Mulberry, and Japanese Medlar in the southern regions of our country. In the north, it can be associated with Quince, Akebia quinata, and Feijoa, which are also hardy and exotic. Take into account its adult dimensions to determine the distance at which you will plant it. Although the roots do not cause damage to modern buildings, they can cause damage to dry stone walls or walls made with weak mortars, in the old-fashioned way.