Figo Preto
Ficus carica ‘Figo Preto’About
Figo Preto — literally "Black Fig" in Portuguese — is a traditional variety grown throughout Portugal and the Azores. The figs are small to medium with very dark, near-black skin and deep red, intensely sweet flesh. It is closely related to, and sometimes confused with, other Iberian dark varieties, but is distinguished by its particularly small eye, dense sweetness, and excellent shelf life once picked.
Growing Notes
- Productive and relatively easy to grow; a good all-rounder for Mediterranean-type climates.
- Small ostiole helps resist souring and insect entry.
- Tolerates coastal conditions and some wind exposure.
- Main crop is the primary harvest; breba crop is modest.
- Cold hardiness moderate to low — protect in frost-prone areas.
My Notes
Sourced from a Portuguese grower. Compact, easy, and reliably productive. The small fruit size is offset by the intense flavour — a small handful of Figo Preto is deeply satisfying. Good resistance to souring noted even in a wet summer.
Where to Find Figo Preto
Mislabeled figs are the collector’s oldest problem, and you usually don’t find out until the tree finally fruits years later. I list my own cuttings on Figstead — a marketplace I built and run, because I had been on the buying end of that problem too many times. That is also why the bar to sell there is where it is: 150+ verified sales at a 98%+ positive feedback rating before a seller is approved, and accountability for true-to-type accuracy resting on the seller personally. I sell under the same standard I set.
What Figo Preto is going for →