Desert King Fig Tree

🌳 Origin and Type

• Botanical name: Ficus carica ‘Desert King’
• Origin: discovered around 1930 near Madera, California
• Type: San Pedro-type fig tree (biferous)
  → this means it can produce two crops, but not always in all climates.

🍈 The Fruit

Desert King is especially known for its breba crop (early figs):

• Color: light green to pale yellow
• Flesh: strawberry-red, very juicy
• Flavor: very sweet, rich, with berry-like notes
• Size: often large
• Texture: soft and melting (“melts in your mouth”)

👉 It produces:

1. A large summer crop (brebas) → the main and most reliable one
2. A smaller fall crop (often absent without specific pollination)

❄️ Hardiness and Climate

This is one of its biggest advantages:

• Hardy down to about 5 °F (-15 °C)
• Tolerates:
  • cool springs
  • wind
  • mild summers

👉 Result: it is well suited for cooler climates, unlike many other fig varieties.

🌿 Growth and Size

• Growth: fast and vigorous
• Mature size: about 13 to 26 ft (4 to 8 m) (smaller if pruned)
• Shape: long, somewhat open branching structure
• Leaves: large, with 3 to 5 lobes

🌱 Growing and Care

Main requirements:

• ☀️ Sun: full sun is essential
• 🌱 Soil: well-drained
• 💧 Watering: regular but not excessive
• ✂️ Pruning:
  • light pruning recommended
  • fruits mainly on previous year’s wood (for brebas)

👉 Tip: avoid heavy pruning, or you may lose the summer crop.

⭐ Strengths

• Very productive (especially for brebas)
• Well adapted to cooler climates
• High-quality, great-tasting fruit
• Relatively easy to grow

⚠️ Weaknesses

• Second (fall) crop often absent without pollination
• Fruits may split in heavy rain
• Can grow quite large if not pruned