Malta Purple Red Fig Tree
Malta Purple Red is a fig we’ve grown for years but rarely tasted as the main crop is too late for us most years here. It does ripen a small breba crop that is quite delicious with a nice thick skin and good texture. The main crop is one of the most prolific of any fig we grow with figs at every node and it’s a vigorous grower too.
One of the easiest fruits to grow, and a true gourmet delight, you should not live your life without feasting on this sweet, delectable fruit. To fully enjoy fresh figs, you must grow your own. When fully ripe and at their most tender, shipping them long distances is virtually impossible. Another plus for Figs – deer don’t like them (most of the time)!
Click here to read our Fig Growing Guide.
Latin Name: Ficus carica
Site and Soil: Figs do well in a variety of soils, but require at least 8 hours of sunlight during the growing season.
Pollination Requirements: Self-figful.
Hardiness: Hardy to at least 0°F, and reports of it surviving below that
Bearing Age: 1-2 years after planting.
Size at Maturity: 10-20 ft in height, smaller with pruning.
Taste: Sweet!
Fruit Skin: Purple Red…
Fruit Flesh: bright red
Bloom Time: Flowers are not noticeable as they are inside the fig.
Ripening Time: August-September
Yield: 10-15 lbs. or more per plant
Pests & Diseases: Figs are not bothered by pests or diseases in our region. Cover plants with netting if birds are a problem. Fig Mosaic Virus is a benign virus that exists in all cultivated fig trees. Yellow spotting of the leaves is a cosmetic symptom that shows more in container culture, but is quickly outgrown once trees are planted in the ground. The presence of FMV in all cultivated figs has become widely accepted, as even the national germplasm repository for figs maintained by the USDA has Fig Mosaic Virus. If the presence of FMV is a concern, then purchasing fig trees may not be the best option for you.
USDA Zone: 7a
Sunset Western Zone: 4-9, 12-24
Sunset Northeast Zone: 31, 32