Brown Turkey Fig Tree
Description
Why grow a Brown Turkey Fig?
The Brown Turkey Fig tree is known for producing medium sized sweet fruit that ripens to a brown, reddish-purple color. This variety is known for being an all-around quality fig, enjoyable for eating and good for preserving, making it one of the favorite fig trees for home gardeners.
This is the perfect plant to accent your patio—with the bonus of fresh figs! Enjoy attractive flat, lobed leaves and tear-dropped shaped green fruit that darkens when ripe. Planting in containers will allow this fig to be grown in cooler hardiness zones, so long as the fig is brought indoors during the winter months.
Fig trees, ficus carica, tend to be low maintenance. The Brown Turkey Fig may yield two distinct crops in locations with long, warm growing seasons. It is self-pollinating and heat-tolerant. When temperatures drop below 10°F, protect the tree by wrapping it in burlap.
Using the Fruit and Leaves
Figs have been a favorite fruit tree since Classical times, loved for their sweetness and rich flavor. They are enjoyable to eat fresh and can be used in salads, charcuteries, and with cheese. Chefs use their sweet flavor for desserts, and they can be dehydrated, canned, and frozen.
Figs are a good source of fiber, calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium. They are also high in vitamins A and C.
Even the leaf is a source of food from this productive tree! The broad, flat leaves are often used for grilling, steaming, and baking, where they impart a smoky flavor to other foods. Additionally, the dehydrated leaves can be made into tea.
Growing Brown Turkey Fig Trees
Grown in the ground, the Brown Turkey Fig can reach between ten to thirty feet tall. In a garden pot, the tree’s height will be reduced by the size of the pot. Some light pruning may be beneficial to the tree, primarily to remove dead or crowded branches and to maintain its shape. These trees need full sun.
Overwintering Fig Trees in Cooler Climates
If you experience temperatures below freezing, then additional winter protection is necessary for best results.
Potted figs should be placed in an insulated, unheated, preferably dark room or cool basement. Water them monthly until just moist so the roots do not dry out completely.
For fig trees planted in-ground, insulate as much as possible by getting creative. Use chicken wire and burlap or surround with straw bales stuffed with leaves. The pliable branches can be bent in to preserve as much as the plant as possible. What is not covered, will likely die back. Figs fruit on new growth and the insulated roots will send out new growth, even if the top dies.
Buy a Brown Turkey Fig tree and enjoy its sweet fruit and beautiful leaves!
Survival Guaranteed!
Since 1816, Stark Bro’s has promised to provide customers with the very best fruit trees and plants. It’s just that simple. If your trees or plants do not survive, please let us know within one year of delivery. We will send you a free one-time replacement, with a nominal shipping fee of $9.99. If the item in question is not available, we can issue a one-time credit to your account equaling the original product purchase price or issue you a refund. Read more about our warranty policy.
Characteristics
| Fruit Color | Brown |
| Fruit Size | Small - Medium |
| Hardiness Zone Range | 2 - 9, Outdoor Planting: 5 - 9 |
| Pollination | Self-Pollinating |
| Ripens/Harvest | June |
| Shade/Sun | Full Sun |
| Soil Composition | Loamy |
| Soil Moisture | Well Drained |
| Soil pH Level | 6.0 - 6.5 |
| Taste | Mild, Sweet |
| Texture | Fleshy, Soft |
| Years to Bear | 1 - 2 |
Size & Spacing
Mature Size
Recommended Spacing
Zone Compatibility
Pollination
This variety is self pollinating.
Tools & Supplies
Planting & Care
Learn all about how to grow fig trees in The Growing Guide. An entire section of our website dedicated to your growing success.
Shipping Information
Arrives when it's time to plant
Questions & Answers
I am unfamiliar with the variety, but fig trees are extremely easy to grow near a window from foot-long cuttings kept warm and moist in potting soil. If you have access to another "fit bush," I would say to go for it.
I have the Chicago hardy and the Turkey fig. They are only a couple years old and grew about 18 inches taller in the two large pots I have for them. The pots I have them in are approximately 7 gallons in size and they developed a good root system quickly last Summer. I plan on letting them grow to about 6 feet in height and then trim them back to contain their size. I have seen Figs out west that were 12 feet high and about the same spread which were growing outside in a permanent position. I believe you can keep them smaller and producing inside if you train them somewhat like a bonsai specimen , just not quite as extreme. I have experience with bonsai and feel this will work for me as I probably can't plant them out in my zone 5b and expect the top of the tree to not be killed back to the ground. They do seem quite vigorous and adaptable so try this if you think your situation may be similar.
Good growing,
Bill D.
Stark Bros. highly satisfied customer
Think they should have their roots planted to do best. Root growth still occurs when no active top growth is apparent, and you want your plants to get off to a good start in the spring. The pots you use should be large enough to hand the current roots and some new growth, but do not have to be as large as they would need to be for year round container growing. I did this with 4 plants I got one year when I knew I was going to be moving and it worked well.
You would not need to keep it in a greenhouse; an unheated garage or shed will do. Fruit trees need a certain amount of hours below 45 degrees in order to go dormant and complete the fruiting cycle. If you keep it in a greenhouse and then outdoors for the summer, you'll get a lot of leaves and little, if any, fruit.
No, Brown Turkey is not considered a Turkish fig. The two most common fig cultivars in Turkey are Bursa Siyahi and Siralo.
My garage is not heated. I'm zone 5 and barring a polar vortex I expect they will be fine.
I have five fig trees, just planted last fall and all are slow in budding out. Give them time. Three years ago, lost all my fig trees, due to severe freezing, which is unusual for this area of Delaware and the Delmarva Peninsula. Good luck! T. W. Adams
My family has a very very large fig tree that was planted in 1784 (yes that year is correct) by my great great great grandfather and it us still alive. He brought the very young tree, as I understand it, it was a cutting from his father’s tree, over from Europe. It of course has not been productive for several 100 years. It is growing about 80 or 90 feet from a river in southern Mississippi.
Amy,
I live in the St. Louis area, growing zone 6, and the Brown turkey fig grew very quickly. By year two, it was about 12 feet tall. I got a few figs the first year, and a good number (maybe 1-2 pounds) the second year. Hope that helps!
Barbara
IT LOOKS LIKE A CLASSIC PLUM/
Correct Zone for me (5B)
I love fresh figs. It will be a potted plant. Outdoors summertime only.
I want to try growing Figs.