🌳🍈 Top 20 Fig Varieties to Grow: Tips and Advice for a Successful Harvest
🌿 Introduction: Why Grow Figs?
Figs are one of the most rewarding fruit trees to grow, especially in the UK where many varieties thrive in sheltered gardens, greenhouses, or containers. With the right variety, figs can produce sweet, honeyed fruit with minimal maintenance and excellent yields year after year.
This guide explores the top 20 fig varieties to grow, with practical tips to help you choose the best option for your space and climate.
⭐ Check Out Our Recommended Products
• Fig Tree (Young Plant)
Start with a healthy, well-rooted plant for faster establishment.
Click here to see them
• Large Container or Root Control Bag
Helps restrict roots, encouraging better fruiting.
Click here to see them
• High-Potash Fruit Feed
Supports flowering, fruit set, and ripening.
Click here to see them
🍈 Top 20 Fig Varieties to Grow
1️⃣ Brown Turkey
- Most popular UK fig
- Reliable, sweet fruit
- Ideal for beginners
2️⃣ Brunswick
- Large figs with rich flavour
- Good cold tolerance
- Heavy cropper
3️⃣ White Marseilles
- Pale green/yellow skin
- Honey-sweet flesh
- Excellent for dessert figs
4️⃣ Violette de Bordeaux
- Small, dark purple figs
- Intensely sweet
- Perfect for pots
5️⃣ Black Mission
- Deep purple-black fruit
- Rich, complex flavour
- Needs a warm, sheltered spot
6️⃣ Rouge de Bordeaux
- Early ripening
- Ideal for cooler climates
- Compact growth
7️⃣ Little Miss Figgy
- Dwarf variety
- Excellent for patios
- Very sweet fruit
8️⃣ Chicago Hardy
- Extremely cold-hardy
- Reliable cropping
- Great for northern gardens
9️⃣ Panachée (Tiger Fig)
- Green and yellow striped skin
- Sweet strawberry-flavoured flesh
- Decorative and delicious
🔟 Celeste
- Small to medium fruit
- Very sweet
- Early harvest
1️⃣1️⃣ Osborne Prolific
- Old UK favourite
- Consistent yields
- Excellent for outdoor growing
1️⃣2️⃣ Kadota
- Light green skin
- Mild, sweet flavour
- Good for drying
1️⃣3️⃣ Adriatic
- Pale skin, bright red flesh
- Very sweet
- Best grown in warm conditions
1️⃣4️⃣ Desert King
- Large figs
- Strong flavour
- Best for sheltered sites
1️⃣5️⃣ Longue d’Aout
- Early and heavy cropping
- Attractive fruit
- Good outdoor performer
1️⃣6️⃣ Noire de Caromb
- Dark, glossy fruit
- Rich taste
- Suitable for containers
1️⃣7️⃣ Madeleine des Deux Saisons
- Two potential crops per year
- Sweet and aromatic
- Needs warmth to ripen fully
1️⃣8️⃣ Ice Crystal
- Unique deeply lobed leaves
- Decorative and productive
- Sweet fruit
1️⃣9️⃣ Ronde de Bordeaux
- Early cropping
- Compact habit
- Ideal for short summers
2️⃣0️⃣ Genoa
- Large, juicy figs
- Reliable yields
- Best in warm gardens
🌞 Tips for Growing Figs Successfully
- Plant in full sun, sheltered from wind
- Restrict roots (containers or root barriers)
- Water regularly during fruit formation
- Feed with high-potash fertiliser
- Protect fruit from birds
Figs thrive on a little neglect once established.
🪴 Growing Figs in Pots (UK Favourite Method)
Container growing:
- Controls root growth
- Encourages fruiting
- Allows easy winter protection
Use a large pot (minimum 40–50 cm) and free-draining compost.
⚠️ Common Fig Growing Problems
Lots of leaves, no fruit
- Roots not restricted
- Too much nitrogen
Fruit falling before ripening
- Cold weather
- Inconsistent watering
Unripe figs at season end
⭐ Recommended Products — Garden & Allotment Essentials for March
March is when the growing season truly begins. Seeds are being sown daily, beds are prepared and late frosts are still possible — these essentials help produce strong plants and a successful start.
Seed Trays, Modules & Propagation Kits — perfect for tomatoes, brassicas, lettuce, onions and flowers. 👉
Click here to see top options
Heated Propagators, Heat Mats & Grow Lights — improves germination and prevents leggy seedlings during cold nights. 👉
Click here to see top options
Seed & Cutting Compost — essential for healthy seedlings and strong root growth. 👉
Click here to see top options
Garden Fleece & Plant Protection Covers — protects seedlings, potatoes and early plantings from late frost. 👉
Click here to see top options
Spring Vegetable Seeds — carrots, beetroot, peas, spinach and salads can all be started now. 👉
Click here to see top options
Garden Kneeler & Seat — makes long sowing and planting sessions far more comfortable. 👉
Click here to see top options
Pressure Washer (Greenhouse & Patio Cleaning) — clean patios, paths and greenhouses before planting. 👉
Click here to see top options
Solar Garden Lights — perfect for enjoying the garden during brighter spring evenings. 👉
Click here to see top options
- Remove late figs in autumn
- Focus energy on main crop
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Are figs easy to grow in the UK?
Yes — with the right variety and position.
Do fig trees need pruning?
Minimal pruning is required, mainly to shape and control size.
Can figs grow in small gardens?
Yes — dwarf and container varieties are ideal.
How long until figs produce fruit?
Often within 2–3 years.
🧠 Key Takeaway
Figs are a fantastic fruit tree choice for UK gardeners, offering beauty, flavour, and generous harvests with minimal effort. By choosing the right variety and giving figs sunshine, root restriction, and shelter, you can enjoy sweet, homegrown figs year after year — even in small gardens or containers.