Fig Tree Sucre Vert - Ficus carica

Ficus carica 'Sucre Vert' is a self-fertile fig tree with a late harvest, renowned for the excellent taste of its figs, which are known as "white" figs. The rounded fruits are a good size. They have yellow-green thin skin. Their pink-red flesh is particularly sweet, with a delicate honey aroma. The tree itself is of moderate vigour. It has particularly dense foliage, making it highly ornamental. The figs can be harvested from September to early November. This variety requires long, hot, and sunny summers.

'Sucre Vert' grows to a height of 4 to 5m (13 to 16ft), often as wide as it is tall, and is very leafy. It produces only one abundant harvest per year, from early to late autumn. The medium to large fruits weigh 60 to 70 grams, with relatively thin skin that turns from green to light yellow-green when ripe. The flesh is soft and melting, with few seeds, and is particularly sweet and pleasantly aromatic. Figs can be used in sweet dishes (pies, clafoutis, compotes, etc.) or savoury dishes when paired with goat's cheese or dry-cured ham. Figs also make delicious ice creams. Refrigeration is not recommended as it alters the fig's aroma and the skin may suffer from humidity and condensation. The best way to enjoy them is fresh to preserve their honey-like aroma.

The harvest can be done in several stages, as the figs ripen. This variety is self-fertile and parthenocarpic, meaning it can produce fruits without fertilisation. It does not need other fig trees or the intervention of the fig wasp, the only pollinating insect of the fig tree, which is too delicate to survive in cold climates.

Ficus carica originates from Turkey and Asia Minor. It belongs to the Moraceae family. It is a deciduous small tree with a greyish trunk that is often twisted. 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, usually five, of variable shape. They have a velvety underside and prominent veins. The wood is soft and spongy, and the bark is grey 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 beautiful shaded space, which is very pleasant during the summer heat. Plant it sheltered by a wall that will protect it from the cold during harsh winters, with a south or southwest exposure, alongside pomegranate, white mulberry, and Japanese medlar in warm climates. In colder climates, it can be grown with quince, Akebia quinata, and Feijoa, which are also hardy and exotic. Consider its dimensions when fully grown to determine the planting distance. Although the roots do not damage modern constructions, they can cause damage to dry-stone walls or walls built with weak mortar.