Last year was a complete wipe-out for me with Summer nighttime temps in the 40s-50s and daytime temps in the 70s...if I was lucky.  I could barely fill a plate the the ripe figs my trees produced.

Another forum member took pity on me and agreed to sell some of his mature trees.  One of the was odd but fascinating.  He bought it on Ebay 3 years ago as "Large Purple".  True, the fruit is large.  The tree itself is an entirely different matter. 

He had the tree 3 years and the photo below is it's size at the end of 3 years.  The trunk is growing horizontally and most of the "shoots" grow downwards.  "Dwarf" is an understatement in describing it.

I took some cutting this morning and will start them to see if they have the same growth pattern as the parent tree.

Could this have been the result of some sort of culture error like over-fertilizing?  Has anyone else seen something like this?

C.J.

Hi there,

I would like to share my AMATEUR opinion.
Fig trees grow relatively quick. With that said, they tend to grow quicker then the wood can harden and adding the weight of the leaves and figs only decreases it's chances of growing straight.

Coupled with over watering/fertilizing, Now it's sky rocketing.

This is one of the reasons why it is a common practice among fig growers to use bamboo stakes ( or any type of wood for that matter ) to help hold the trees upright.

This is based on my own personnel experience and would like other members to weigh in on this.

have you ever looked at the roots for anomalies?

It could be sort of weeping fig. If you search this or GW forum for "weeping", you may see some pictures on that thread. I don't recall where I saw the thread.

Well now, that's just the cure for my pot ghetto problem, isn't it ... I could pot up a few fig trees like that and set them in front of my mismatched pots, and as they cascade down and out the ugly pots would be hidden...  May have to think about buying some weeping figs somewhere.

Anyway, it's a very pretty plant you have.

Most likely a fig plant that was rooted upside down is my best guess.

Look at the plant carefully.
There is no vertical growth , no main stem growing upwards.
My guess would be someone rooted a scion upside down in soil and left 
node or two stick to out and this is the result, several buds that opened and grew downward because they rooted it upside down.

Sometimes the obvious is ... the last suggestion.

Martin, that is an amazingly simple but highly probable observation.  I would have never thought about that one.

Martin, interesting observation.  I've taken several cuttings and will try to root them to see if the grow "normally" of display the same growth pattern.  I'll update this thread with the results...but it will be a while.

BTW, the fruit WAS large and it ripened in my living room when the temps got too cold to leave it outside.  It is fort of the fig version of the "patio tomato"

C.J.

C.J If I were to guess I would say that is a Dwarf Black Jack, thats how they grow for some reason and has large purple figs.

Nelson,

Let me see if I understand you.  Are you saying that there is a separate variety recognized as "Dwarf Black Jack" or are you saying the Black Jack is genetically "dwarfed"?  If so, do the stems grow downward?  Although this photo doesn't clearly show it, in addition to having a "trailing" habit like Black Weeping, many of the stems actually grow downward,.

Do you happen to have a picture of a dwarf Black Jack or know where one might be posted?

C.J..

C.J from what I was told the black jack is already a dwarf type fig but there seems to be some Variants of Black Jack that are more dwarfing than others and have a different growth patern similar to yours. This is a Picture of a Friends Dwarf Black Jack so you can see what I mean.

I am having problems trying to find a picture showing the anatomy of a fig stem/cutting.  I wanted to provide this to suggest a way to determine if this is potted upside down.

Basically, if my memory is working like it should, your buds should be above the leaf scar, and above the node.  So, when the plant is budding and sending shoots, check to see if your buds are above the leaf scar and node.  Alternately, look at old growth.  If stems occured under the line of the leaf node, then I would suspect this is actually planted upside down.

Just a way out thought that is pretty neat looking at least to me I wonder if you can make some type of lining or something to that effect and grow it up side down like that Topsy turvy thing you see advertised. or just turn it into a hanging basket Any way very interesting to say the least

Hmmm.

Nelson, the leaf form on that tree is pretty close to this one and the fruit pics(F4F varieties) also looks close.  You may have solved the mystery.

Satellitehead, I'll go down to the "dungeon" later today and take a good look (and pics).

C.J.

C.J., Peak42(Phil) sent me a couple cuttings of his Black Jack which he told me was supposed to be the real Black Jack. It has prostrate growth like what you and others are showing. Maybe Phil can weigh in with further information.

C.J they do look very similar, I am rooting a few cuttings from the plant in the Picture I posted will let you know later on in the season if its growing sideways and downwards like the mother plant.

The possibilities are intriguing.  A fig for "garden borders", A fig naturally formed for the "Japanese method".  A fig for patios and window boxes...at least mine is.  A fig for "ground cover".  A fig for GoodDaughter. <G>

Hello C.J. or Jenia.My name is Phil,PEAK42 OF FIG FORUM.Your photo shown on your page is identical to the picture of Nelson's shown below yours which is a picture of two of three Dwarf Black Jack that I purchased from California.This is truely named Black Jack from possibly by someone in California.It is not a Black Weeping nor has the scion been grown upside and the fig tastes very good and sweet.My version of the growth is the same as Nelsons is. That it was genetically dwarfed by another living or dead fig tree or possibly two. One of them may be the Mission fig.I hope this helps.
Phil

Nelson, the picture you posted is great. That would be a wonderful border plant.

I have a Black Jack, wonder if it will exhibit the same kind of growth. It's just a tiny thing right now.

Hi, Phil!  Thanks for posting here.  When I looked closely at your photos, I was pretty sure my "mystery fig" was the same.  The only thing that concerns me is the lack of growth in my plant,  it is over 3 years old and exhibits very little expansion.  I have taken cutting and  will watch them to see what kind of growth pattern they exihit.  It is possible that my plant has been stunted for whatever reason.  How old are the plants in your photo?
C.J.

Hey C.J. I have had my Black Jack for three years and have eatin loads of figs from them.I purchased mine from a discount nursery in California.I think the tree was 1 year old at the time of purchase.I have seen a video and photos of this fig tree which was called the same.I use a two parts organic fertilizer 4-6-6-and one part bone mill and one part super phosphate twice a year.A month after, I use a liquid orchid fertilizer 1/4 strength once a every two weeks which has a high Phosphorus content for fig trees grown in pots only.PLease check roots for nemotodes.If you don't want to go through all of this trouble just use an organic tomatoe fertilizer twice a year as many do.Your fig tree looks in good health.It needs at least 8 hours of full sun each day during the summer months.I hope this helps.Good luck   Phil from Ohio

C.J. Phil again.My sons Black Jack grew as yours is growing.He grew his tree in a shaded area with only one hour of sun light the first year.He now puts his tree in sunlight about eight hours a day and feeds tomatoe fertilizer twice a year and a lot of water.

Phil, 
Any photos of the fruit?

C.J.

Nelson, don't forget to post them in the future. I'd really like to see how yours grow.