I was asked about growing figs by a friend at church this last Sunday and I mentioned how easy they were to grow… and that there was an amazing specimen in Gainesville.
Backstory:Â A couple of years ago my cousin Ben (a truly talented artist) and his family moved into a nice condo complex up in Gainesville.
I’ve taken my family up there for visits now and again… and when there, I noticed an amazingly big fig tree that was planted long ago.
Sadly, my cousin and his family have moved to another state (he got an awesome job with a big design studio), but before he left I took pictures of the fig.
Yes, you CAN grow figs in Florida! GIANT FIGS!
I’m guessing it’s a good 25′ tall and loaded with fruit. I have no idea who originally planted this tree there, but God bless them. What a great fruit tree to tuck into a condo development.
It’s hard to take a good picture capturing the immensity of this tree, especially on a rainy day at dusk, but I did my best.
Here’s another shot up through the center:
And a shot from the sidewalk nearby:
And here’s the trunk:
To whoever planted this fig tree, good work. You’ve improved a corner of the world.
If you live in the Gainesville area and want to see this tree in person, I nicked the map off the Sparrow Condominiums website. Here it is with an X-marks-the-spot.
It’s worth seeing this tree if you get a chance.
You can have greener thumbs by this weekend!