Organic Fig Tree Noire de Caromb - Ficus carica

The Organic Noire de Caromb Fig (Ficus carica) is a vigorous and productive variety, producing large fruits with bluish-purple skin and red, juicy and sweet flesh. This self-fertile variety bears fruit twice a year, starting in early July and again towards the end of August. The Fig tree is a deciduous, hardy tree that thrives in sunny locations. Plant in autumn or winter when there is no risk of frost. Plants sourced from organic agriculture. 

The Noire de Caromb Fig produces large fruits with bluish-purple skin and red, juicy and sweet flesh. Figs are used in sweet dishes (pies, clafoutis, compotes etc.) or savoury dishes when paired with goat's cheese, dry-cured ham, or foie gras. After harvesting, it is not recommended to store them in the refrigerator as it alters the fig's flavour and the skin may suffer from humidity and condensation. The best way to enjoy them is fresh under the tree, preserving their honey-like fragrance.

Among the different varieties of Fig trees, we can distinguish:

- Uniferous varieties, which produce a single harvest per year, usually in early autumn.

- Biferous varieties, which bear fruit twice a year. They produce figs called 'flower figs' in early summer, appearing on the wood of the previous year, and autumn figs, developing on the branches of the current year.

The Noire de Caromb Fig is a biferous variety, bearing fruit from early July and then again towards the end of August. The harvest will be done in several stages, as the figs ripen. This variety is self-fertile and parthenocarpic, allowing fruit to be obtained without fertilisation. It does not require the presence of other Fig trees and does not rely on the intervention of the blastophaga fig wasp, the only insect pollinator of the fig tree, which is too delicate to survive in cold climates.

Originally from Turkey and Asia Minor, the Fig tree (in Latin Ficus carica) belongs to the Moraceae family. It is a small, deciduous, vigorous tree with a rounded and erect habit, often with a twisted trunk, reaching 3 to 5 metres (10 to 16 feet) in all directions. The leaves are rough, bright green turning yellow in autumn, finely velvety, relatively large (sometimes 20 cm (8in) long) and have a long petiole. The lamina is deeply divided into three to seven crenate lobes (most often five) of variable shape, with a velvety underside and prominent veins. The wood is soft and spongy, the bark 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 original foliage gives it an ornamental aspect and provides a shaded space, very pleasant during summer heatwaves. Plant the Fig tree sheltered by a wall that will protect it from the cold during harsh winters, with a south or southwest exposure, in the company of Pomegranate trees, White Mulberry trees, and Japanese Medlar trees in warm southern regions. In cooler northern ones, it can be associated with Quince trees, 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 constructions, they can cause damage to dry stone walls or walls with weak mortar, built in the old-fashioned way.