Extra dwarf new fig for any garden

Many people are put off planting figs because they can grow so large so quickly. I think I’m going to have to hire a tree surgeon to deal with mine before it falls on the house.

So the arrival of a new fig variety from America that’s guaranteed to stay small will be welcomed across Britain, especially as it’s also dependably hardy. A finalist in this year’s Chelsea Plant of the Year competition, this is what the judges heard about this intriguing newcomer:

“Fig growing is now possible in even the smallest garden. Current popular cultivars get too big for most modern gardens but Ficus carica Little Miss Figgy (‘LMF01’) is a very compact, dwarf variety that grows to about 4ft (1.2m) high and wide. Yet it produces a prolific crop of large, sweet, burgundy-coloured figs along the branches in both spring and summer. It’s ideal for British gardens, coping with -15°C.

“This compact, hardy introduction allows anyone to grow their own figs in the smallest of spaces. Little skill or experience is needed to produce two worthy crops of sweet fruit each year, one in spring, and one in autumn. Thriving in any well drained soil or a large patio pot, there is little care involved although, if needed, pruning can be done in winter to keep the plant shapely. A spring top dressing will keep the plant fed for the season.”

Little Miss Figgy prefers dry, light soils to and a place in full sun. It’s drought resistant and is best kept out of heavy winds.

Little Miss Figgy was selected in 2010 as a mutation of Ficus carica 'Violette de Bordeaux' by Michael Nobles on his nursery in South Carolina. Its fruits are larger and more prolific and the leaves of Little Miss Figgy are dark, and noticeably deeply lobed, with each lobe more slender and more pointed than those of 'Violette de Bordeaux' creating a very attractive foliage plant.

You can order Ficus carica Little Miss Figgy (‘LMF01’) from the RHS Plant Shop, Thompson & Morgan, and also from YouGarden.