Ficus carica 'Violette de Bordeaux' (F)
fig 'Violette de Bordeaux'
A vigorous, spreading large shrub or small tree, to around 4m tall with deeply lobed leaves. Reputedly hardier than many other cultivars. Produces small, edible, sweet fruits with a dark, purplish-black skin and pink to red flesh, from late summer into autumn. They also have a delicious fragrance. Can also be grown in containers, producing fruit at a young age.
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Size
Ultimate height
2.5–4 metresTime to ultimate height
10–20 yearsUltimate spread
2.5–4 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Green | Purple Black | ||
| Autumn | Yellow | Purple Black | ||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H4Botanical details
- Family
- Moraceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Bushy
- Potentially harmful
- Humans/Pets: Harmful to skin with sunlight. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
- Genus
Ficus can be evergreen or deciduous trees, shrubs or climbers, with often leathery, simple, entire or lobed leaves and tiny flowers borne within a hollow receptacle which enlarges to form the fruit
- Name status
Unresolved
How to grow
Cultivation
Best grown fan-trained against a warm wall or fence, using a root-restriction method such as a box of paving slabs with the bottom filled with a layer of rubble or broken crocks. Also suitable for cultivation in a container. See fig cultivation
Propagation
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Architectural
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal garden
- Mediterranean climate plants
- Edible fruit
- Wall side borders
Pruning
In mid-spring remove a proportion (1/4 to 1/3) of older branches. For further information see fig cultivation and fan-training
Pests
May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite, thrips, mealybugs and scale insects under glass
Diseases
May be susceptible to honey fungus
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