A fig never appears to flower, and that is the whole trick of the genus. The flowers are there, hundreds of them, turned inward and lining the hollow interior of what everyone calls the fruit. In the wild figs, pollination runs through a tiny wasp that enters by a pore at the tip, a partnership so exact that most fig species carry a wasp of their own and neither partner manages without the other. The common fig grown for the table, Ficus carica 'Celeste', sets fruit unaided and needs no wasp at all.

Beyond the edible fig this is a genus of climbers and oddities. Ficus pumila, the creeping fig, presses flat against masonry and changes leaf shape entirely with maturity. Ficus vaccinioides and Ficus nipponica are small-leaved East Asian creepers that suit a container or a sheltered wall. Ficus roxburghii, now more properly Ficus auriculata, carries enormous leaves and bears fruit straight off the trunk. Most of these want warmth and shelter, so read the hardiness note on each plant before committing to a cold site.