The fig is an edible fruit of a tropical tree that belongs to the same family as the mulberry, nettle, and india-rubber tree. The fig is not the simple, many-seeded fruit that it looks to be but is a cluster of many little fruits. The cluster is turned wrong side out so that the receptacle, or fleshy part to which the little seed-like fruits are attached, is on the outside, and the fruits themselves are on the hollow inside. Figs are of various colors—yellow, green, red, or blue black—and are very sweet. In regions where they are raised, they are eaten fresh or are canned, preserved, or dried.
The fig tree, which is native to Asia Minor, has been cultivated since ancient times. It has been introduced into warm countries in all parts of the globe. In America it was brought very early to the southern colonies, and in California the early mission fathers planted it in their gardens. California is now the main producer of figs in the United States, although they are also grown commercially in the southeastern states and in states along the Gulf of Mexico.
