In another thread it was mentioned that some of the leaves smell like cat pee. So I'm hoping you all can smell your fig leaves and tell me which ones stink.

Fig plants smell in confinement like if you have them in a room for a while. I am not sure if anyone has done any tests to find out which one does not give a stink when confined to an enclosed space..

LOL!  I have always thought figs smelled like tomcat urine.  I didn't know other people would think that and they do.  Thankfully, they don't have as strong a smell to them as the tomcats.  It reminds me of the first figs I ever ate, which were at my grandparents' home in VA.

noss

I have quite a few plants in my office and when I arrive in the morning it does not really smell like figs. However I put them outdoors everyday when I bring them back in then you can definately smell them.

Personally, I love the smell of fig trees.

To me they smell spicey, almost like coconut and allspice or something.

When you burn the wood in the fire, you can definitely tell.  My wife was surprised when I pointed out she was burning old fig wood and I hadn't seen what she had put in the fire.

I thought it had a hint of citrus

I'm definately with Ken, Ras, and Rafed on this one: Our figs smell great.

Maybe you guys have a tomcat peeing on your figs!  ;-)

Just kidding.  Smell, taste, etc., are very subjective things, but I definately think that figs smell very earthy, spicy, and refreshing.  Otherwise, I wouldn't be planting so many in our orchard.  Tomcat urine would not be something I would want to smell everyday in the orchard.

Our figs are really coming along nicely here in North Georgia.  Lots of little figs that are sizing up quickly.  It looks like the best year yet.

Hope everyone else has a good season as well.

Very best wishes to all.

John
Georgia Piedmont
Zone 7b

 OK, you guys have freaked me out.  My figs are grown in-ground outside.
 So, I am going outside now to smell my fig trees. I don't know about cat urine or coconuts , but if my neighbors start taking photos of me running around smelling fig trees , it's your fault ! Fred , in New Bern

LOL!  Fred!

The smell of tomcat is not strong, thank goodness, but it's there and it may be that some people can smell it and others cannot--Genetic, like some people can smell cyanide and some cannot.  I still love the smell of fig trees, no matter what.  And I DO smell my trees and think back to my childhood at Gramma's house in VA

John, I don't think they could reach that high!  LOL!

Vivian

So, Fred, what's the verdict? Did your neighbor's catch you sniffing the foliage?

Your comment reminded me of once years ago when I was taking a horticulture class and had to learn to identify the common varieties used for local landscaping. I was always going up to plants I was unsure of for a closer look, till my wife said she was embarrassed to be seen with a man who couldn't pass a tree without going up to sniff it!

Hi Vivian.

We have Bobcats here, and I woudn't put anything past them!  ;-)

I really don't smell anything other than an earthy, spicy, woodsy scent from our figs, all of which is very pleasant.  If it's genetic I am very happy not to have the gene that let's me smell the unpleasant scent some are smelling.  It's just not there as far as  I can tell.  I generally find milk and beef most unpleasant though, and clearly most everyone else is tasting something different than I am. 

Hope you are having a great growing season.

Best wishes.

John
Georgia Piedmont
Zone 7b

Georgia fig, 

Its not your bobcats.  I am very sensitive to the different cat urine smell of some varieties of fig trees, I smell that smell very easily on some more than others, ABruzzesi is strong smelling of Cat urine, also I remember the Ronde de Bordeaux was also very strong smelling. I think also when they are younger.  I have to get my nose ready and check a few more as I forgot.  We had a large discussion on this a while back and some thought it was a female thing/male thing.  Many of us ladies noticed the smell more than alot of men. It was an interesting discusssion. I cannot say I love the smell of some of my fig varieties, but the ones with the smell are some of my best tasting ones. Go figure.
ciao

I have experienced what most others here have.

Some figs have no smell.
Some figs smell sweet, like coconut milk with cinnamon.
Some figs smell sour, like cat urine.

I noticed this a lot in Europe the past couple of weeks, most notably with the wide varieties of figs growing all around Monte Igueldo in San Sebastian, Spain.  There is one, for example, which is very close to a small shack where food and drinks are sold, it had a very dark green fruit on it with dark red eye, the tree smelled very much like coconut milk and cinnamon.  There was another one along the back wall of the topmost 'castle' wall, the leaves were as large as three of my adult man hands, and it smelled ferociously of cat urine.  The others I saw had milder versions of these smells, never having both at the same time, sometimes having no smell at all.

To me, leaves of most figs definitely smell like cat urine. I've noticed that more than anything, especially with brown turkey. I'll be sniffing the rest tomorrow trying to find that coconut milk and cinnamon.

A chemical known as felinine is probably broken down to a butanol to produce the characteristic odor in cat urine. So maybe there is production of similar butanol in some fig tree leaves. If you really want to smell this scent, try the dead leaves in the fall.

Scott

I have noticed the same about the dead leaves of more than a few.

Scott,

I have about 80 to 90 potted figs in various sizes of pots and some are quite tall plants.

My family and neighbors already think I'm psycho to begin with ( fig wise ).
Imagine the looks on their faces when they see me in the yard holding one leaf at a time while I snif them like a bloodhound. I don't think that would sit too well and probably scare the heck out of them! LOL

Hi Rafed,

Went out and sniffed mine in the rain last night. I need a 'warning: seriously disturbed' t-shirt.

scott

You guys make me laugh. I always had a very good nose, I can smell things my husband or others can't it seems. Its good though when I am cooking, I can be out in the yard or in other parts of the house and know when or what needs to be done with cooking in the kitchen by smell. I am glad I have this, hope I never loose my  sense of smell with age as other things may go away. Keep up the good humor guys! CiAO

Some posters are missing the point that the smell is noticed when figs with leaves are placed in a confined area (in a room) with not too much circulation. In open areas it should be getting diffused to the point of not being noticed except by very sensitive nose.

Hi Ottawan.  I'm sure you're right: 1) All our figs are in ground outside; and 2) My sense of smell is very limited.

Turns out that is good news though, as I think all our figs are most pleasant.

If you want to smell nastry trees though: 1) Bradford Pears when they are blooming; or 2) the rotting fruit from a Ginkgo tree.

Honestly, there's nothing I don't like about figs, which is why they are so much fun to grow.

I especially enjoy the heirloom plants.  Because the cuttings are basically clones, you can pass on the same plant for generations building a rich history.  You can enjoy the exact same figs that our ancesters enjoyed in Europe and the Middle East.

Best wishes to all.

John
Georgia Piedmont
Zone 7b

Ah, bradford pears.  Nothing gets makes me smile like the beautiful smell of human semen floating in the breeze during springtime in Georgia.... (Ugh, it drives me nuts!)

Geotgiafig
There is another reason why I like figs in Zone 5 North. No pollination required so the bugs and the bees can hibernate in our cold spring as long as they wish and it makes no difference to the common figs. Also, taking the potted figs to the safety of a cold cellar protects them from whatever the winter fury can throw at the region; no bud kills and no dead wood. The only wish that may remain just a wish is that they would take a bit less time to ripen.

Hope you have a great season this year Ottawan.

Best wishes.

John

So glad to have found this forum...this thread especially.  I've been smelling cat urine when I enter my home.  I was about to blame my cats who arrived as older adoptees 2 months ago.  The smell seemed to  be coming from my plant area...so I've been sniffing around on my hands and knees wondering which one of the cats had the nerve to pee in my plants or spray on a pot but could only locate a faint urine smell coming from the leaves of my "Chicago Hardy"....much too high up for peeing or spraying.  I searched the internet and this forum is the only information that I could find.  Good to know...I may encourage it to go dormant like I did last year (my first year of fig ownership).  I would love to have one that smells like coconut however!