The ‘Brown Turkey’ fig is arguably the most popular and versatile fig variety grown in Australia. It is celebrated for its extreme hardiness and its ability to produce two crops of fruit per year in many regions—a smaller “breba” crop in spring on the previous year’s wood, followed by the main, more abundant crop in late summer and autumn on the current season’s growth.
The fruit is medium to large and distinctly pear-shaped. As it matures, the skin transitions from green to a beautiful coppery-brown or dark purple. The flesh inside is a soft, rosy-pink to deep red, offering a rich, sugary flavour that is less intense than some of the “honey” figs but perfectly balanced for fresh eating, drying, or making jams. The tree itself is highly ornamental, featuring large, deeply lobed, bright green leaves that provide a lush, Mediterranean feel to the garden.
Care Tips
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Position: Requires full sun for the fruit to ripen and sweeten properly. In cooler areas, planting it against a north-facing wall can provide extra reflected heat.
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Climate: Highly adaptable. It is more cold-tolerant than many other fig varieties but also thrives in hot, dry summers. It handles the Australian heat exceptionally well.
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Pollination: Self-fertile. It does not require a pollinating wasp or a second tree to produce fruit.
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Soil: Prefers well-drained, loamy soil but is incredibly tough and will grow in almost any soil type, including poor or alkaline soils.
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Watering: While established figs are remarkably drought-tolerant, they require regular watering during fruit development to prevent the fruit from dropping or shrivelling.
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Fertilising: Avoid over-fertilising with nitrogen, as this encourages excessive leaf growth at the expense of fruit. A light application of a balanced fertiliser in early spring is usually sufficient.
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Pruning: Prune in winter while the tree is dormant. You can keep it as a compact bush or a small tree. Hard pruning can be used to control its size, though it may reduce the following spring’s breba crop.
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Harvest: Harvest when the fruit is soft to the touch and the neck of the fig starts to wilt or “droop” slightly. Figs do not ripen further once picked, so wait until they are fully mature.
