With easy propagation process, figs can be passed down like family heirlooms

Get It Growing for 01/24/25

Figs are one of the most common fruit trees you’ll find growing in Louisiana backyards. And for many of these fig trees, there’s a name and face and a personal backstory behind them.

That’s because figs are a popular passalong plant. That means they were grown using cuttings taken from older trees or those belonging to family and friends.

Whether you want to start a new fig tree to continue the lineage of a beloved heirloom specimen or share cuttings with fellow gardeners — or if you are simply interested in trying your hand at plant propagation — the process is easy. And winter is the perfect time to do it, according to Michael Polozola, LSU AgCenter fruit and nut specialist.

“Figs are forgiving,” he said. “You can do it most of the year, but you’re going to have the best results during their dormancy in December, January and February.”

The first step is to locate a healthy mother plant.

“You want one that you’ve been fertilizing regularly, that you’ve been pruning so it’s growing vigorously,” Polozola said. “Ensure that it’s getting water, especially during dry periods so that you have consistent, good, vigorous growth.”

Next, you’ll need to cut off a piece of a tree branch. Look at the newer growth at the ends of the branches and try to find a section that is the diameter of a pencil to slightly thicker, somewhere around the size of a permanent marker.

“A little bit bigger is going to have more carbohydrates. It’s going to be stronger and root better for you,” Polozola said.

Just don’t go too big. Thicker cuttings can struggle to root, as can older parts of the branch farther down that have a gray or tan coloring.

Now, get your pruners ready. Count at least four to five buds down from the tip of the branch you’ve selected. These buds are where the roots for your new tree will eventually form. Make a cut just below a bud at an angle. And voila: You should have a cutting that is a few inches long.

You may want to repeat this process a few times to give yourself more than one cutting to work with.

Some people like to remove the terminal bud at the very tip of the cutting, Polozola said, as it is believed to slow rooting. But it’s not necessary.

Stick your cuttings about an inch deep — at least one or two buds should be buried — in potting mix in small containers. And that’s it! Just keep the cuttings watered and protected from freezing temperatures, and within a year, they should sprout a few branches and reach a foot or so tall. Be sure to upsize the containers as needed.

Figs are native to the warm Mediterranean region. They will generally survive Louisiana winters.

“Above Alexandria, eventually we’re going to get cold weather than can kill them down to the ground,” Polozola said. “An established plant will come back and be fine. It’s those first few years you have to really make sure that they’re healthy so they come back.”

Growing a cold-tolerant variety such as the Hardy Chicago can help, too. But Hardy Chicago can be harder to find than common varieties such as Celeste, Polozola said.

LSU horticulturists developed several fig varieties in the 1950s and ‘60s with Louisiana’s heat and humidity in mind. These releases include LSU Purple, LSU Gold, Champagne, Tiger and O’Rourke.

There are many other kinds of figs out there. Some people even have fig trees that are descendants of unique varieties their grandparents or great-grandparents brought over from Europe.

“There’s a lot of family heirlooms out there that are worth propagating and sharing with your family and friends,” Polozola said.

Like all living things, fig trees don’t last forever.

“That’s why taking cuttings is important — to keep that line going,” Polozola said. “Eventually you’re going to get an old tree that’s going to rot from the center. They don’t compartmentalize rot well. But we can always take new cuttings and start new trees.”


Michael Polozola and Jason Stagg, of the LSU AgCenter, explain how to take cuttings for fig tree propagation.

Man holding pruners standing next to fig tree.

LSU AgCenter fruit and nut specialist Michael Polozola prepares to take a cutting from a fig tree. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Hand holding a piece of a fig tree branch.

Make sure cuttings have at least four to five buds. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Branches of a fig tree.

Take cuttings from branches whose thickness is somewhere between a pencil and a permanent marker. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Small fig trees in pots.

The three smaller fig trees are about a year old. The larger one at right is about 3 years old. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

1/28/2025 2:09:22 PM
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