How do I choose a fig tree?
We compare Brown Turkey, Ronde de Bordeaux and Michurinska-10 to demonstarte how we do it.
If you search online for the best fig tree for the UK, one name appears again and again: Brown Turkey.
And to be fair, there is a reason for that. Brown Turkey is widely available, easy to grow, and recognised by the RHS as a reliable UK choice.
The RHS says it is the best-known and most widely available fig for cropping in the UK, with an Award of Garden Merit.
But here at The Fig Shop, I don’t think the best answer is always the first answer Google gives you.
The better question is this:
Best for what?
Best for a beginner?
Best flavour?
Best in a cold garden?
Best chance of ripening in a short British summer?
Best if you want fruit rather than just a
handsome tree?
That is where the decision becomes more interesting.
First, what does “best fig tree for the UK” actually mean?
In Britain, growing the tree is usually not the hard part. Most figs will grow.
The real challenge is getting fruit to ripen before the season runs out.
So when I judge a fig for the UK climate, I’m thinking about five things:
How early does it ripen?
How hardy is it?
How reliable is the crop?
How good is the flavour?
How suitable is it for ordinary gardens, pots, patios and sheltered walls?
Once you ask those questions, the answer becomes less obvious — and much more useful.
The case for Brown Turkey
Brown Turkey is the traditional answer, and it deserves respect.
It is widely grown in Britain, easy to find, generally hardy, and forgiving for beginners. It can produce good crops, especially in a warm, sheltered position or against a sunny wall. For many gardeners, it is the fig tree that proves figs can be grown in the UK at all.
The RHS describes Brown Turkey as usually producing one crop per year, though sometimes two in a hot summer or under protection. That matters, because it tells us something important: Brown Turkey is reliable, but it is not magic. It still needs warmth, shelter and sensible care.
So why does Brown Turkey come up first so often?
Partly because it has been sold in Britain for years. It is familiar. Garden centres stock it. Beginners recognise the name. Search engines like familiar names.
But popularity is not the same as superiority. Brown Turkey is probably the safest answer for a complete beginner who wants a known, proven fig tree. It is not necessarily the most exciting answer for someone asking, “Which fig will give me the best chance of early, high-quality fruit?”