Best Tasting Fig Trees for Sale
If you taste one of these varieties when picked perfectly ripe, I promise that you'll want to plant your own fig tree. These are the varieties I rank as the best tasting.
The Best Tasting Fig Trees I Grow
I've ranked over 100 fig varieties by eating experience, from "Best Tasting" all the way down to "Don't Recommend to Anyone." The trees on this page are the ones I rank as the best tasting. Genetics is the primary driver of flavor in figs. If your only experience is a grocery store Brown Turkey or a backyard Celeste, you're in for a massive surprise.
Great Flavor Only Counts if You Can Ripen It
A lot of famous figs rarely reach their potential in a short, humid season. One year near Philadelphia, I got to enjoy exactly one Black Madeira. The rest split, fermented and attracted fruit flies. So when you choose, look at the badges on each card too. A best-tasting fig that's also early or rain resistant will reach peak ripeness far more often.
Pick them perfectly ripe. Many figs get even better when they shrivel or partly dry on the tree.
Where I'd Start
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Coll de Dama: my personal favorite, with a texture as thick as pancake batter. They ripen late, though.
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De la Roca: the Coll de Dama-like texture in a fig that dries on the tree and resists rain and splitting.
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Smith: a thick texture, strong berry flavor, slight acidity and high sweetness.
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Hative d'Argenteuil: the most complexly flavored fig I grow, with a distinct cherry flavor.
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Black Madeira: the gold standard among U.S. fig enthusiasts. It's best in the ground in a dry, long-season climate.
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Campaniere: my best-tasting figs in 2022 and 2023, and it's very early.
See my complete rankings in the best tasting fig varieties, my take on the best figs you can enjoy year after year, and the results from a local tasting of over 20 well-ripened varieties. You can browse my full notes in the fig variety directory.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best tasting fig variety?
There isn't just one. Black Madeira is the gold standard among U.S. fig enthusiasts, and the Coll de Dama types are my personal favorite. Smith, Hative d'Argenteuil, De la Roca and Campaniere are all near the top of my rankings, too.
How do you rank fig varieties by taste?
By eating experience from my own trees. I've ranked over 100 varieties in tiers, from Best Tasting down to Don't Recommend to Anyone, and the full list is in my best tasting fig varieties post.
Why don't my figs taste as good as I expected?
Most often they weren't picked perfectly ripe. Climate matters too. In a humid, short season, many famous figs split or ferment before they reach their potential. Many figs taste even better when they shrivel or partly dry on the tree.
Is Black Madeira worth growing?
If your climate is dry with a long season, yes. It splits easily and ripens late, so it's best in the ground in those conditions. In a humid, short-season climate, choose a rain-resistant or early variety instead.
What's the best tasting fig for a short growing season?
Campaniere is very early and gave me my best-tasting figs in 2022 and 2023. Hative d'Argenteuil and Smith are early too, and both are among the best-tasting figs I grow.
Does Brown Turkey taste good?
It's reliable, but I rank English Brown Turkey and California Brown Turkey as average. If that's all you've tasted, the varieties on this page will be a big surprise.
Every variety on this page (Best Tasting Fig Trees): Allix · Anconetana · Barbillone · Black Celeste · Black Madeira · Black Manzanita · Black Tuscan Dovill · Bourjassotte Grise / Violet Sepor / Socorro Black · Bourjassotte Noire · Burgan Unk · Calderona / Calderona de Miner · Campaniere · Castel Trosino (Mario’s #48) · Castello · Cavaliere · Coll de Dama · Colonel Littman’s Black Cross · Corio Provence · Dalmatie / Stella · Dattero · De la Roca · De N’Amoros · Del Sen Jaume Gran · Dels Ermitans · Desert King · DFIC0023 Palmata Hybrid · Domenica Blanca Negra · Eve’s Black Cherry · Fico Rubado / Verde Passo · Fico San Pietro Nero · Figo Roxo · Forastera de Can Reviu · Green Michurinska · Grise de St. Jean · Hative d’Argenteuil · Hivernenca · Ischia Black (USDA) · Italian 258 · Joualle Noire / Molla Vermella · La Borgeoise · Longue d’Aout · LSU Tiger · Marangiana Viola · Marseillaise · Martinenca Blanca · Montalcino Rosso · Moro de Caneva / Figo Moro da Caneva · Nero Roco · Nerucciolo d’Elba · Noire de Bellone / Barnissotte · Osborne Prolific / Godfather · Panache · Paradiso (Siro) · Pastiliere · Pel de Bou · Pernette Noire · Pissalutto · Ponte Tresa · Ronde de Bordeaux · Rosso di Goni · Salam Piacentino · Salato · Salce · San Biagio · San Giorgio Verona · San Pietro Bianca di Carmignano · Silvano · Smith / Texas BA-1 · Sofeno Preto · Sorrento · Squeglia (Mario’s #9) · Sucrette / Cul Noir · Teramo · Tolosa · Torbole / Verte e Arte / Fico Lungo di Portogallo · Torres · UCD Caprifig · Unk Blackberry · Unk Pastiliere · Vagabond · Val Camonica Long Green / Verdino Valsessia · Verdal Negra · Verdino del Nord (Tatiana) · Verdino del Nord / Figoin · Verdolino · Verdone (Nikky) · Violette de Bordeaux · White Adriatic / Verdino · White Triana · Zaffiro