Latin name: Ficus Carica
Location: Plot at Platform 1
What it looks like: A medium sized shrub/tree with slender, upward angled branches. The leaves are green and resemble the shape of a hand.
History: The Fig is an ancient plant and was the first tree to be mentioned in the Bible (in Adam and Eve) and it also appears in early Buddhism and Hinduism. The Fig was not grown in England, however, until the 1700s.
How to eat it: The fig fruit can be eaten either raw, cooked, baked or grilled. The cooked fig can be used to make jams, biscuits and chutneys or use raw in salads and with fish. The figs are ready to pick when they hang down (raw figs will be pointing up) and come off easily in your hand. Figs do not need to ripen off the tree. You can also dry the fig leaves and make a tea or use fresh to wrap around food during cooking to add flavour. The tree sap can cause a mild skin allergy so take care when picking.
More information: There are over 750 varieties of Fig! Fig trees do not flower, instead tiny flowers on the inside of the fruit provide the seeds which give the fruit its unique texture.