Fig Scion & Rootstock Selection

Scion Selection

There are two primary types of commercial fig, the “Smyrna” and the “common” fig in California. The common fig produces fruit without pollination (parthenocarpic fruit) and is widely grown in California. Popular varieties of common figs grown include Mission, a dark purple fig introduced by Spanish missionaries and the oldest of the California figs; Kadota, a white fig used for canning and drying; Adriatic, and Conadria. Adriatic is a white fig once commonly used in bars and paste which has now been largely replaced by Conadria in fig paste production. Calimyrna is the most popular Smyrna cultivar grown in California. The San Pedro cultivar produces the first crop parthenocarpically but must be pollinated to produce a second crop. For brief descriptions of growing and processing major varieties, see Valley Fig Growers: Growing & Processing

Rootstock Selection

Figs are frequently propagated by cuttings. As a result, rootstocks are not commonly used in fig production in California. Occasionally topworking can be used to graft a fruiting variety onto an established root system of another variety. However, no dedicated rootstock varieties are in common use in California as they are in other crops (ex. peach, almond, and plum).