FICUS CARICA “BROWN TURKEY”

Ficus carica ‘Brown Turkey’ is a self-fertile variety of the common fig, belonging to the Moraceae family and native to the Mediterranean area and western Asia. It is a rustic and productive cultivar, particularly suitable for cultivation in temperate environments, even in areas with moderately cold winters. The plant has a shrubby or small-arboreal habit, with medium-fast growth and a broad, irregular crown, composed of robust and well-lignified branches. The leaves are large, palmate, deeply lobed, dull green on the upper surface and lighter and tomentose on the lower surface. It produces a first fruiting (large flowers) in early summer, followed by a second production (supplied) between late summer and early autumn. The fruits are medium-sized, pear-shaped, with a thin brown-purple skin, sometimes streaked with green, and pinkish pulp, sweet, low in acidity, very pleasant to eat fresh or processed. The variety is self-fertile and does not require caprified pollination. It prefers sunny and warm exposures, with well-drained soil, even calcareous or poor. It shows good resistance to drought and adapts to marginal situations, as long as they are protected from water stagnation and cold winds. It tolerates minimum temperatures around -10 °C once established, but can suffer late frosts in the vegetative phase. It is suitable for both open ground cultivation and in pots, as long as they are in large containers. ‘Brown Turkey’ is suitable for family fruit growing, Mediterranean gardens, orchards and for urban cultivation, thanks to its adaptability and regular production even in non-optimal conditions.