Growing Fig in USDA Zone 8a

Recommended varieties for zone 8a

• Celeste. Very sweet, honey flavor, small purple-brown fruit with strawberry-pink flesh; the southern favorite. Excellent fresh, dries beautifully. Closed eye prevents souring in humidity. Resistant to fruit-souring.
• Brown Turkey. Sweet, mild, large brown-purple fruit with red-pink flesh; reliable producer for fresh eating and jam. Less intense flavor than Celeste but heavier yields.
• Chicago Hardy. Sweet, small dark purple fruit with red flesh; good fresh-eating quality. Roots survive zone 6 with mulching, top-killed by hard freezes but resprouts.
• Black Mission. Rich, sweet, complex flavor with hints of berry; the classic California fig. Eats fresh and dries into the dark figs sold in stores.

Common challenges in zone 8a

• Insufficient chill hours for some apple varieties
• Pierce's disease in grapes
• Heat stress on cool-season crops

Disease pressure to watch for

• Fig Rust (fungal). Late-season rust disease causing defoliation in humid southeastern conditions.
• Fig Fruit Souring (physiological). Souring of ripe fig fruit caused by microorganisms entering through the open eye, particularly in humid conditions.