This is a thread for discussing interspecific hybrids of Ficus carica, the common fig. I’d like to use this for documenting known hybrids, as well as discussions of hybridization attempts and hybrid breeding projects.
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I realize there is a similarly-named topic already. However, that one has 50+ posts so far and yet has not actually gone into much discussion of fig hybrids.
In light of that, here’s a new thread on that topic.
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By and large, it looks like the majority of fig hybrids currently are F. carica x palmata. These two species are close enough that natural hybridization has occurred. There are a number of varieties of those crosses available, including at least one “common” variety that is self-fruitful and does not require the fig wasp. There are also a handful of other crosses. I’ll list the ones I’ve come across below.
Ficus carica x pumila
There is a named variety, ‘Ruth Bancroft’ and at least one unnamed clone as well. This blog post describes the hybrid in some detail. The plants may have some disease resistance that straight carica does not have, but may or may not be very fruitful.
One thing that’s really surprising about this hybrid is that F. pumila is not in the same subgenus as F. carica.
Ficus carica x palmata
There are a number of varieties. Palmata hybrids are recognizable by their often hairy leaves, young wood, and even fruitlets. Plants tend to be very vigorous and have large spade-shaped leaves generally. Most palmata hybrid varieties I’ve seen are described as having berry type flavored figs.
DFIC 0023
This one is noted for it’s vigor. I don’t know if it requires pollination. Dark skin is purple/black, flesh is red. Leaves very palmata like in images posted on figfair’s website.
Corky’s/Palamata hybrid
A new variety that appears to have been bred by figfair. Three-lobbed leaves. Typical dark purple skinned and red fleshed figs are a bit surprising given the honey fig carica parent. The fig shape is more necked than most palmata hybrids.
Cherry Cordial
The only variety I’ve seen that will set fruit outside of fig wasp areas. This one was discovered in the wild near Santa Barbara Ca. Generally gets praise for flavor and vigor. Not sure how hardy it might be, probably less than straight carica. Several users of the ourfigs forum mention that it is a very thirsty plant and appreciates being grown in high rainfall areas or frequent watering, with the drawback of being very prone to fruit-drop if water-stressed.
Alma and Yellow Long Neck?
I’ve seen speculation and claims that these are either second-generation palmata hybrids or at least have some palmata introgression. I don’t know if that’s actually the case.
I’m not sure about the other varieties, but Cherry Cordial is described as being early/mid season. No one has reported much splitting, but the shape, a long, thin neck and then a highly bulbous fruit, sounds like it could go either way as far as being a bad splitter. The eye on Cherry Cordial is open. Overall, I’d assume somewhat middle of the road performance as far as rain and humidity resistance.
One thing that does stir my interest is the fact that these figs are so water-loving and vigorous. That, and tendency towards the berry flavors, would be very useful to breeders out here on the East Coast where drought tolerance is rarely much of a concern, especially for inground figs. Interestingly, the N1 variety of straight palamta has yellow skin, not purple. I’d be curious to know if the dark skin on these palmata hybrids is actually coming from carica.
Other potential hybrids that I’ve seen mentioned in some places
Ficus carica x sycamorus. I am personally skeptical that this is likely, or if possible that it’d be a useful cross. The sycamore fig is pretty distantly related to the common fig.
Ficus carica x erecta. The Japanese fig is within the same subgenus, so a cross might be more likely. Unlike a lot of other figs, the Japanese fig has is from the sub-tropics rather than the tropics.
Etc. there are hundreds of fig species, and pretty much all of them I am completely unqualified to talk about.
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I have the ‘Ruth Bancroft’ carica x pumila. It set a few figs this year. I need to check if they are still there.
A friend of mine has what looks like a carica x palmata that originated as a cutting from the collection at UC Davis. Extreme vigor, unlobed leaves, tasty long-necked figs, though production is a little light compared to how much space the tree takes up.
The green figs are from a different tree.
It appears to be the same as DFIC0023, but I have not seen that fig in person.
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I was just at USDA Wolfskill orchard. The trees don’t have anything to do with UC Davis other than leasing the land to the Government in the 1980’s. I asked both to clarify and the USDA as well as UC Davis they both told me the same thing.
Here’s the Palmata Hybrid DFIC 0023 USDA. Very different flavor hard to describe.
Beautiful tree and figs.
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Any idea what the hardiness is with the palmata hybrids?
Beautiful plants, that’s for sure.
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I’d guess from what I’ve read not as good as Carica. Frost sensitive. I’m sure @Richard probably has more knowledge.
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Several interspecific hybrids of F. pumila and F. carica were made in California, during the UC breeding program and extended into the UCD program. I have a breeding chart if anyone is interested.
One of the specimens obtained in Algeria by W. Swingle was a Ficus carica x palmata caprifig labeled ‘Hamma’. In fact, a portion of the tree was famously used to transport Algerian B. psenes wasps to Fred Roeding’s ranch in 1899. There, the first California colony of wasps was established in 1900 on an F. carica caprifig renamed Swingle (now lost).
However, clones of Swingle’s Hamma were distributed elsewhere in California and to other breeding programs in the U.S. For example, it is the pollen parent of Alma, whose female parent is Vernino (aka Allison).
I have a two cultivars of F. carica x F. johannis subsp. afghanistanica (or vis a vis), along with specimens of F. johannis subsp. afghanistanica. Next year I intend to import F. johannis subsp. johannis, hopefully male and female (yes I have a license). I’ve no interest in obtaining crosses outside of Ficus sect. Ficus.
Every mature F. c. x p. and F. p. x c. I’ve observed (including many trips to Wolfskill) has asymmetrical shallow bi-lobed leaves with a small percentage of singleton and asymmetrical shallow tri-lobes.
Cultivars of F. palmata are more cold hardy than cultivars of F. carica. I have male and female specimens here in southern California USDA 10B. They maintain most of their leaves year-round and initiate syconia year-round, although more vigorously during influxes of warm weather – which happen here off-and-on all year. In comparison, the F. carica’s shed their leaves by December and leaf-out in April.
I also have a few F. carica x palmata, including DFIC 23. They have a longer season compared to their F. carica counterparts, but only by weeks. I will guess they drop their leaves in the first sustained instance of temperatures below 45°F.
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I didn’t remember that regarding Alma. Great info Richard.
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Impressive work very nice Richard!
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I did part of my PhD work at the Wolfskill orchard. The area east of the driveway belongs to the university and is where the strawberry and almond breeding work takes place. West and south where the figs and pomegranates are is USDA and has nothing to do with the university most of the time. There’s plenty of research work done by university scientists on USDA accessions, and sometimes the USDA side gets propagation material for things they’ve lost from the university side.
There are miscellaneous fruit trees on the university side, including figs, a pecan, multiple accessions of persimmons, and some large avocados. Not sure where my friend got his fig, but I assume it’s on the USDA side.
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Very cool what a great place to work and study. No wonder you’re so smart. I didn’t know that about the other side but makes sense the day I went they had a small group from UCD there but I think just to gather figs to eat. The Scientist with gov plates I met was in charge of the fig and kiwi NCG-Repository I believe. All very humble and smart folks. Here’s a pic I’m sure you can appreciate.
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I’ve since learned that the marker scores (input data) obtained by the investigators is faulty as well, so the relations I came up with are misleading! Oh well, I have another paper about it under review.
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I believe in this context it was intended to be a discussion of cold hardiness rather than warm climate hardiness. The tendency for F. palmata to hold leaves year round in a zone 10 climate does not tell us with certainty what it would do in a cold climate, but it does let us guess it may have a hard time slowing down and hardening off its wood which could lead to cold damage not seen in most cultivars of F. carica grown under similar conditions since they are more readily able to harden off and enter dormancy. My experience with DFIC 23 in my colder end of zone 8 climate was that it did not harden off well and experienced severe die back compared to straight F. carica of the same age and growing conditions.
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There is a fair amount of experience with F. palmata cultivars among fig collectors in the U.S. My statement regarding relative cold hardiness was based on information from them prior to Covid. Better data might be had by obtaining an update from those folks.
I feel really fortunate to have been able to spend a bunch of time out there. A friend of mine worked for the USDA, and we would graze our way through the pomegranate collection every fall and the apricot collection in July. I just wish they had the resources to make the collection more accessible to the public.
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I am growing Cherry Cordial in Las Cruces, NM. We experienced a low of 14-15F this winter, January 2025. My Cherry Cordial has leaved out fine, no damage and has some breba figs on it as well. We had snow on January 9th, followed by the cold spell lasting 3-4 days. temperatures went above freezing during the day, but were very cold at night.
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