Organic Fig Tree Violette Dauphine - Ficus carica

The Fig tree or Ficus carica 'Violette Dauphine' is an early, very fertile and vigorous variety. It produces large and very appetizing fruits, which are resistant to bursting and hide a juicy and sweet pink flesh under their purple skin. This self-fertile variety is bifere, meaning it bears fruit twice a year. The first harvest is abundant and takes place in July, while the autumn figs will ripen in September and October. Fresh, in jam, in pastries or as a sweet-savory accompaniment, the fig is always a delight!

Plant from Organic Agriculture.

The 'Violette Dauphine' Fig tree produces beautiful fruits with dark purple skin when ripe, and a fine and juicy flesh. Figs are used in sweet dishes (pies, clafoutis, compotes...) or in savory dishes combined with goat cheese, dry ham or foie gras. After harvesting, refrigeration is not recommended as it alters the flavours of the fig and the skin may suffer from humidity and condensation. The best way to enjoy them is fresh, at the table, under the tree, to fully savor their honey-like aroma.

Among the varieties of Fig trees, there are:

- The unifere varieties, which produce a single harvest per year, quite abundant, at the beginning of autumn.

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

The 'Violette Dauphine' variety is a bifere variety. It bears a first abundant harvest in July (flower figs weighing 100 to 120g), then a second one in autumn, around September and October, yielding autumn figs weighing 50 to 80g. The harvest will be done in several stages, as the figs ripen.

This variety is self-fertile and parthenocarpic, allowing it to produce fruit without fertilization. It does not require other fig trees and does not need the intervention of the blastophagus, the only pollinating insect of the fig tree, which is too sensitive 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, deciduous and vigorous tree, with a rounded and erect habit, often having a twisted trunk, reaching 3m (10ft) in height and 2m (7ft) in width for this variety. The leaves are rough, bright green turning yellow in autumn, finely velvety, relatively large (sometimes 20cm (8in) long) and with a long petiole. The lamina is deeply divided into three to seven lobes with crenate edges (most often five) of variable shape, with a velvety underside and prominent veins. The wood is soft and spongy, 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 original foliage gives it an ornamental aspect and provides a beautiful shaded space, very pleasant during the summer heat. 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, White Mulberry and Japanese Medlar in the regions of the southern half 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 dimensions when fully grown 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.