Edible Plants of the World

Sycamore fig

Sycamore fig

A tropical plant. They will grow on most soils. Soils need to be well drained. They prefer a sunny open position. It is drought and frost resistant. It is probably damaged by frost when in leaf. It can grow in hot and arid regions. It grows well near rivers. In Africa trees are commonly near rivers in dry regions. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 200-1,800 mm. It can grow in salty soils. It can grow in arid places. It grows in Miombo woodland in Africa. It grows in the Sahel. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.

Also known as:

Asses fig, Atielowinyo, Bamba, Barde, Bobi, Daray, Ebobore, Ebwalai, Ecalawinyo, Egyptian sycamore, Ejinga, Emidit, Engop, Eta, Fuqa, Ganyaya, Gomeiz, Harbu, Hillteta, Ibbi debbi, Ikuku, Kajare, Kankanga, Katjere, Le'a, Mochaba, Mbuyo, Mkuu, Mkuwa, Mkuyu, Mochaba, Mogoboya, Msoho, Msombe, Mtsombe, Muhuyalukuse, Muhuyuvhuwa, Mukankanwa, Mukuiu, Mukumyu, Mukunyu, Mukuyu, Mulberry fig, Muonde, Nkuwa, Nomas, Nshembe, Oda, Odaa, Olam, Ol-gnagboli, Omukwiyu, Orng'aboli, Ourof, Pharoah's fig, Saqam, Saqum, Shafa, Shola, Subula, Suqmi, Sycamore in the Bible, Umkhiwa, Wokoyo, Wola, Wuuri

Synonyms

Edible Portion

Where does Sycamore fig grow?

Found in: Africa, Angola, Arabia, Asia, Australia, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, East Africa, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mediterranean, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Oman, Palestine, Rwanda, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, United States, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Notes: Biblical references Amos 7:14 There are about 800-1000 Ficus species. They are mostly in the tropics. There are 120 Ficus species in tropical America.

Status: Fruit are widely eaten and sold in markets in the Middle East. The fruit are also commonly eaten by children.

Growing Sycamore fig

Cultivation: In the Mediterranean region sycamore figs do not set seed because the more tropical fig wasp does not occur there. In tropical places it can be grown from seeds. It can be grown by cuttings or layering. Trees can be pruned or lopped.

Edible Uses: Fruit are eaten raw. They can also be dried. They are used for jam. They are eaten with millet and used to make an alcoholic drink. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer. Young leaves are cooked for food. They are used in soups or peanut dishes. The latex is used as a vegetable rennet.

Production: Trees are fairly fast growing. The young fruit are gashed to assist ripening. In Tanzania fruit are collected at the end of the rainy season.

Nutrition Info

per 100g edible portion

Edible Part Energy (kcal) Protein (g) Iron (mg) Vitamin A (ug) Vitamin c (mg) Zinc (mg) % Water
Fruit 57 0.5 - - - - 83.9
Fruit 50 1.4 1.7 - 7.3 0.4 82.7

Sycamore fig Photos

Sycamore fig Sycamore fig Sycamore fig

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