Black Mission Fig Tree Live Plant, 2 Feet Tall, 3 Gallon Pot, Tropical Fruit

Overview

Introduce the delightful taste of homegrown figs to your landscape with this beautiful Black Mission Fig Tree. This live fig plant is an excellent choice for both experienced gardeners and beginners, offering prolific yields of sweet, dark purple figs. Originating from Spain, the ‘Mission’ fig variety is celebrated for its rich flavor and adaptability, making it a popular addition to gardens across the United States. Our specimen comes as a healthy, established plant, standing approximately 2 feet tall and rooted in a 3-gallon nursery pot, ensuring a strong start in your garden. Known for its vigorous growth and attractive foliage, the Black Mission Fig Tree not only provides delicious fruit but also adds ornamental value to any space. Its distinct lobed leaves create a lush, Mediterranean feel, transforming your patio or garden into a fruitful oasis.

The Black Mission Fig (Ficus carica ‘Mission’) is an heirloom variety prized for its dual cropping season, producing an early ‘breba’ crop in late spring and a main crop in late summer to fall. These figs are excellent for fresh eating, drying, or making preserves, offering a versatile culinary experience. This robust fruit tree is self-fertile, meaning you only need one plant to start enjoying its bounty, making it an ideal choice for urban gardens or smaller spaces. With proper care, your live fig plant will thrive, providing years of sweet, succulent fruit for you and your family.

Key Benefits

The Black Mission Fig Tree offers a multitude of benefits, making it a highly desirable addition to any garden or edible landscape. Its ease of care and generous yields are just the beginning of what this remarkable plant has to offer:

• Delicious, Nutrient-Rich Fruit: Enjoy an abundance of sweet, dark figs directly from your garden. Black Mission figs are known for their rich, honey-like flavor and are packed with fiber, potassium, and antioxidants, making them a healthy and delicious snack.
• Dual Cropping Season: This variety produces two crops per year – an early ‘breba’ crop in late spring and a main, more substantial crop from late summer into fall. This ensures a prolonged harvest period, maximizing your enjoyment of fresh figs.
• Ornamental Appeal: Beyond its fruit, the Black Mission Fig Tree boasts attractive, deeply lobed green leaves and a striking growth habit, adding a touch of Mediterranean elegance to patios, gardens, or as a focal point in your landscape.
• Self-Pollinating: You don’t need multiple trees for fruit production, as this fig variety is self-fertile. This makes it a convenient choice for smaller gardens or those with limited space, simplifying the growing fig trees process.
• Adaptable and Resilient: Known for its hardiness, the Black Mission Fig can adapt to a range of soil types and is relatively drought-tolerant once established. It thrives in various climates within its recommended USDA zones, proving to be a resilient and rewarding plant.
• Versatile Culinary Use: The figs are incredibly versatile; they can be eaten fresh, dried, used in jams, baked goods, salads, or paired with cheeses. Having an edible fig plant provides endless culinary possibilities.
• Easy to Grow: With minimal fuss, this fig tree offers a rewarding experience for gardeners of all levels. Its robust nature means less time spent on complicated care routines and more time enjoying the fruits of your labor.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

To ensure your Black Mission Fig Tree thrives and produces abundant fruit, understanding its basic care requirements is essential. This resilient plant is relatively low-maintenance, but a few key practices will significantly enhance its health and productivity. The Black Mission Fig prefers a location with full sun exposure, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Adequate sunlight is crucial for fruit development and overall plant vigor. If growing in a container, choose a spot on a sunny patio or balcony. For in-ground planting, select a south-facing wall or an open area free from shade from other trees or structures. This maximizes the energy the plant receives for photosynthesis and fruit maturation.

Watering is critical, especially during the establishment phase and dry periods. While the live fig plant is drought-tolerant once mature, consistent moisture is vital for young trees. Water deeply and regularly, allowing the top few inches of soil to dry out slightly between waterings. Avoid overwatering, as figs do not tolerate waterlogged conditions, which can lead to root rot. Well-draining soil is essential; a loamy or sandy soil type is ideal. If your garden soil is heavy clay, amend it with organic matter like compost or sand to improve drainage. The Black Mission Fig thrives in temperatures between 60°F and 90°F and is hardy in USDA Zones 7–11. In colder zones, it can be grown in containers and moved indoors during winter, or given winter protection. For successful fig tree care, fertilize moderately in spring with a balanced fertilizer, avoiding excessive nitrogen which can promote foliage growth at the expense of fruit.

Pruning is an important aspect of growing fig trees. Prune in late winter or early spring while the tree is dormant to remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches and to shape the tree. This also encourages better air circulation and sunlight penetration, which helps prevent diseases and promotes fruit production. Consider winter protection for young trees in the lower end of their hardiness range. Mulch heavily around the base of the tree to protect the root system from freezing temperatures. For container-grown figs, bring them indoors to a cool, dormant spot like a garage or unheated basement when temperatures consistently drop below freezing. With these simple fig tree care tips, you’ll be enjoying delicious figs for years to come.

Size & Details

This offering is for one healthy Black Mission Fig Tree, provided as a robust live fig plant ready for transplanting. Each tree stands approximately 2 feet tall from the base of the pot to the top of the foliage, offering a significant head start for your garden. It is securely rooted in a 3-gallon nursery pot, providing ample space for root development and ensuring a smooth transition to its new home. The tree’s overall dimensions, including the pot, are roughly 8 x 8 x 30 inches, making it manageable for transport and initial placement. These measurements reflect a well-established plant, not a small seedling, promising quicker fruit production.

The Black Mission Fig is known for its moderate to fast growth rate, and with optimal conditions, you can expect it to reach a mature height of 10-25 feet tall and wide, although it can be kept smaller with regular pruning, especially when container-grown. This edible fig plant typically begins to bear fruit within 1-2 years of planting, offering a relatively quick reward for your gardening efforts. The first ‘breba’ crop usually ripens in late spring, followed by the main crop from late summer into fall. The tree ships as a fully rooted, actively growing specimen, ensuring it arrives in excellent condition and ready to thrive in your garden.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big will the Black Mission Fig Tree get? A: In ideal conditions, a Black Mission Fig Tree can grow to be 10-25 feet tall and wide. However, its size can be easily managed through pruning, especially if grown in a container, allowing it to fit into various garden sizes.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Black Mission Fig Tree is primarily an outdoor plant, hardy in USDA Zones 7-11. In colder climates (Zones 6 and below), it can be successfully grown in a container and brought indoors during the winter months, making it a versatile live fig plant.
• Q: How much sunlight does the Black Mission Fig Tree need? A: For optimal fruit production and healthy growth, your live fig plant requires full sun exposure, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. More sun generally leads to sweeter and more abundant figs.
• Q: Is this fig tree easy to care for, especially for beginners? A: Yes, the Black Mission Fig is considered one of the easier fruit trees to grow. Its resilience and adaptability make growing fig trees a rewarding experience for gardeners of all skill levels, provided basic care guidelines are followed.
• Q: What condition will the fig tree arrive in? A: Your Black Mission Fig Tree will arrive as a healthy, actively growing specimen, approximately 2 feet tall and rooted in a 3-gallon nursery pot. It will be carefully packaged to ensure its safe arrival, ready for planting.
• Q: Can I use the figs from this plant for cooking and drying? A: Absolutely! Black Mission figs are highly prized for their rich flavor, making them excellent for fresh eating, drying, making jams, preserves, or incorporating into various savory and sweet dishes. It’s a truly versatile edible fig plant.
• Q: When is the best time to plant this fig tree? A: The best time to plant your Black Mission Fig Tree is in the spring after the last frost, or in early fall. This allows the tree to establish its root system before extreme weather conditions.
• Q: What kind of soil does this fig tree prefer? A: This fig tree thrives in well-draining soil, ideally a loamy or sandy type. If your soil is heavy clay, amend it with organic matter to improve drainage and provide optimal conditions for fig tree care.
• Q: Will it produce fruit in its first year? A: While it’s possible for a young Black Mission Fig Tree to produce a small amount of fruit in its first year, especially the ‘breba’ crop, significant yields typically begin in the second or third year after planting.
• Q: What are the main points of fig tree care during winter for colder zones? A: For colder zones (below USDA Zone 7), if grown in a container, bring the plant indoors to a cool, dormant location. If planted in the ground, provide heavy mulching around the base and consider wrapping the plant to protect it from harsh freezes.