ONE of the very first commercial Ficus carica that was IMPORTED from Turkey
(or anywhere else) to CA, was the Smyrna which of course NEVER fruited there
due to the not existing  fig wasp. Once all the wasp importance was figured out
(and later introduced),  it  was renamed as the famous (mostly dried)  Calimyra fig.

Of course, many early immigrants brought some valuables with them, including
a heirloom precious  fig twig or two (some still do!).

Although, there are other many Ficus species in the Americas,
specially South America, there is only evidence that  the F. carica
kind originated mostly around the Mediterranean region,
(and/or maybe north Africa or south Asia).

AND not to feel any bad, amongst the many other good things that originated
in the Americas are the corn (as corn-on-the-cob [aka, maize];
 not the wheat 'corn'  known
in EU that is used  [mostly] in all daily  breads) but most worthy for the well being
of many livestock through the whole world . Also the turkey (fowl) which we eat
 all eat at least once on Thanksgiving day (speaking  for myself)...

George (NJ).

Yes, F. Carica originated in the Mediterranean but I was looking for other Ficus species that may have originated here. At least in Calif there are none. I was just surprised to see the Ficus's kissing cousins that are natural to Calif., hops and hemp.

Tomatoes and potatoes also are indemic to the Americas.

Sue

I also asked myself the same question about ARkansas & found this right away:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osage_orange
This beautiful tree with its bizarre fruit...
Are there any botanist-types on this list who can help us to bridge the observable mulberry/*moraceae* connections between hops/hemp/osage & our beloved figs? I have the vague notion that our modern botanic classification system is based upon blossoms but that is not much help.
Thanks!
Stephen V.

I believe I read the Moraecae family encompasses plants that have milky latex. I'll double check when I get home.
Sue

Sue,
Now that I fully understand your original question, I am sorry  to say that I
have no real good answer. However , this may be of some help,
you do the digging up...

One of the BEST ficus websites:
http://www.figweb.org/
You go in there and browse; amongst other good 'stops', you should encounter
a site for S. African/ S.American/ Asian ficus spieces. Alas, only the S. African
part is documented (other two marked as pending ... what about down there
under Aussie land?).

Also looked at a hard copy of Condit's Exoctic Ficus book. On a very quick
look, it seems that Condit studied  Ficus taxonomy only on a worldwide
perspective.

I had previously looked at some specific exotic ficus species on both sources,
but not caring about their original source of origin.

Good Luck!
Hey, If you can research/document this kind of stuff, expect a PHD for your studies...
George (NJ).

A somewhat close  answer, this is what I found about the 2 (only)  known ficus
indigenous to USA  (in  FL - not CA) - F.aurea (aka., Florida Stranger Fig)
and F. citrifolia.

RE Potatoes:
Oh I do love them, we grew back  then in EU, my mother, somehow put some of
them of in most  everyday's day menu, whoof.1 , I'll pay a 1M$ (which I do not
have) for her fridays's strong thick 'ministrone' soup experience). Also when  I
used to grow them there in EU, I do remember that we had to annually buy Irish
(whole) potato seeds (Arrar Banner and/or Alpha to be ' very ' specific) , and I
used to like that Irish ( peat/moss)  MUSTY smell on my 'blackened'  hands/fingers
(whoof.2!, ... priceless)  while splitting them for good 'eyes'. Nowadays,
 I fulfill my craving  for them potatoes  by just by just buying a cheap can of
'them' ...(souating) etc,.  Never grown here (USA); not sure why?...
P.S.  Not that it matters much, but no I am not Irish...

RE  Tomatoes:
Also an  excellent  veggie, but, also think of the very famous NJ tomato one.
One to the bests hybrids was just re-introduced by Rutgers University,
is the Ramapo kind, see link below.... Try it!

http://www.njfarmfresh.rutgers.edu/JerseyTomato.html

Thanks for that tomato tip George.  I used to grow Gurney Girl - so good!  But Gurney got bought out, and now the new owners are offering "Improved" Gurney Girl - total waste of time (and money). 
I'm going to try Ramapo.

Hi Sue,

I am suprised 'A California Flora' doesn't include Ficus carica.

While I would agree there are not 'native' figs in California, I have seen 'wild' or 'naturalized' fig thickets along streams in the Chico area of the Sacramento Valley of California.

Both hops and Cannabis are growing 'wild' in California, but are not originally from this hemisphere. Beer, rope and clothes were important to early pioneers!

Interesting that Munz considers these other Moracea family members 'natural vegitation,' and not the fig, which has similarly escaped from cultivation.

I too am interested in the wild (native and naturalized) fruits of California.

One of the most common in my area (Marin Coumty, San Francisco Bay Area, CA) is the wild cherry/myrobalan plum- Prunus cerasifera. I believe they are descendants of the commonly planted ornamental red leaved flowering cherry plums ('Thundercloud' is one variety). The quality of fruit is good but varies. The hills around here have many bird spread seedlings, onto which I am grafting many varieties of select Asian and European plums, and even some apricots. None of these grafts have fruited yet (1-2 years old), perhaps some this year.

but this is a fig forum!

-John V

Oh yeah,

In addition to hops and hemp, aren't mulberries and stinging nettles both from the Moracea family and found growing wild in Calfornia?

John V.

I got stuck in a Nettle field in Coventry England area a few summers ago while visiting Britain.  I know they are definitely native to there.  What a mess.  They were everywhere.  Ciao  Ireland as well.

Hi John,

You are correct about hemp and hops not being native to CA.  It does mention that in my book which I neglected to read before posting...maybe a future printing will list F. Carica as an "occasional escape from cultivation" as the two above are listed. It's still interesting to find they are cousins to the fig!

Nettles, Urtica dioica, are in the Urticaceae Family not Moraceae.
 
Sue