Native Plants
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Friday - July 04, 2008
From: Arcadia, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Cold hardy non-native fig tree for Dallas
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Do you know the best cold hardy fig tree that will grow and fruit in Dallas, Texas?ANSWER:
Since Ficus carica is not a native of North America, we have no information on it in our Native Plant Database. We did, however, find an excellent website Fig Fruit Facts Ficus carica. This site even includes a list of cultivars. The fig is indigenous to western Asia and grows best and produces best-quality figs in the Meditteranean and dryer, warmer-temperature climates.
This Florida site Ficus carica lists some cold-hardy specimens by cultivar name. The fig is hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 to 10. Dallas is about Zone 7a. With winter protection, can be grown as far north as Zone 5. When fully dormant, fig trees can tolerate temperatures as low as 10 deg to 15 deg F. Even if frozen, figs often will resprout from roots and produce a crop the following summer. For Dallas, do not order or purchase any fig trees that are specifically California cultivars, as they are pollinated by a tiny wasp that cannot survive the weather in Texas.
More Non-Natives Questions
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May 21, 2008 - I am looking for citrus that grows in the Austin,Tx area.
Could you offer any suggestions please?
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April 26, 2009 - We have a Meyten tree that has lots of suckers coming up from the roots. We would like to keep the tree, but if we can't find a way to control the suckers, we are considering taking it out. Any sugg...
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Trimming time for non-native Pampas grass in Leland NC
April 26, 2010 - When is the best time to trim Pampas plants, onset of winter or onset of spring? Also, what's the best way to trim and how far should they be cut back?
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