Figs don't have male and female fruits; rather, they have male and female flowers. The situation is more complex than a simple male/female designation.
Understanding Fig Sexuality
Most fig trees are dioecious, meaning they have separate male and female trees. About two-thirds of Borneo's wild figs are dioecious. This means male trees produce male flowers, and female trees produce female flowers. [Source: How & why you need to ID the sex of your dioecious figs – THE FIGS...]
- Male Figs (Caprifigs): These figs contain male flowers and are not typically eaten. They are crucial for pollination, housing fig wasps which carry pollen to female figs. [Source: A male fig - and why we don't eat them]
- Female Figs: These figs contain female flowers and develop into the edible figs we consume. [Source: The Incredible Edible Fig] These female trees may be self-fertile or require pollination from a male fig tree.
Some fig varieties are monoecious, meaning they have both male and female flowers on the same tree. However, even in monoecious species, the flowers are still distinctly male and female. [Source: The Incredible Edible Fig]
Edible Figs and Pollination
The edible figs we eat are almost always harvested from female trees of dioecious species. [Source: Are figs male or female?] While the female fig contains only female flowers, successful fruit development often requires pollination by fig wasps from male caprifigs. However, some cultivated female fig varieties produce edible figs even without pollination. [Source: Do Fig Trees Need Cross Pollination to Produce Fruit?]
The process involves a fascinating symbiotic relationship between the fig tree and the fig wasp, where the wasp helps pollinate the fig flowers, leading to the development of seeds and the fruit we enjoy. [Source: Are There Wasps in Figs? We Asked Experts]
Practical Implications
Knowing whether your fig tree is male or female is important for fruit production. If you have a male tree and want edible figs, you'll need to either graft female varieties onto it or plant a separate female tree nearby. [Source: What the hell is wrong with my fig tree? It's the second year it's...]
