Prolific Caprifig

[Egg]

This caprifig puts out massive amounts of fruit on most of its branches. Is this typical for caprifigs, or this just above average?

Wish a common fig would do this. Is it possible for these type of traits to be passed onto the offspring if crossed with another prolific common fig variety?

 

[GoodFriendMike]

Is it possible for these type of traits to be passed onto the offspring if crossed with another prolific common fig variety?

Yes.

 

[Charlie Dodgson]

Is this typical for caprifigs

Caprifig cultivars of Ficus carica subsp. carica (the kind we often discuss here) can have 1, 2, or 3 crops. They do not necessarily proceed in order of the seasons. For example, there are F.c. carica Caprifigs that only bear a spring and winter crop.

F.c. carica Caprifigs have multiple uses:

1. pollen for crops of Females,
2. characteristics of interest for breeding, and
3. concubine for colonies of the B. psenes fig wasp.

In all three cases, a massive spring crop (like you pictured) is not always desirable. For use #1, the timing of the crop is the most important characteristic.

In case #3, all three crops (using one or more trees) is required for year-round survival of the wasp. It is thus important to have a sufficient amount of figs in each crop, not necessarily an over-abundance in any crop.

So for domesticated F.c. carica, a massive spring crop is not typical -- but not rare either.

Here in California and elsewhere in the world, there are regions with dual feral populations of F.c. carica figs and B. psenes fig wasps. In my experience, these feral Caprifigs that have spring crops usually bear heavy amounts.