Portuguese Edible Fig

Ficus carica 'Del Portogallo'

Name: Ficus carica 'Del Portogallo'
Brand: GROW TROPICALS
SKU: FICUCARIPORT19
Price: 39.99 GBP
Availability: InStock

£39.99

Hardy in the UKSun-loving

Pot size

19cm / 3L £39.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

The Ficus carica 'Del Portogallo' is a distinguished Mediterranean fig cultivar from Portugal, prized for its exquisite flavour and dependable yields. It produces medium to large pear-shaped figs with a rich, dark purple skin and succulent amber-pink flesh that ripens reliably in a sheltered British garden. The plant itself is architectural and tropical-feeling: huge palmate leaves up to 25cm across on smoothly arching stems, bringing an unmistakably Mediterranean exotic look to a UK garden whether it ever fruits or not.

'Del Portogallo' thrives on warmth: it is happiest on a sheltered south or west-facing wall, where the masonry's stored heat carries the plant through cool nights and ripens the figs reliably. Equally suited to large container culture, where root restriction encourages fruiting over leafy growth.

Sold here as a fruit-bearing plant grown for its edible harvest, not as an ornamental. The amber-pink flesh and sweet rich flavour make these among the finest figs for fresh eating, drying, or making preserves. With root restriction the plant directs energy into fruit production rather than leafy growth.

'Del Portogallo' is at home on a sheltered patio wall, in an exotic Mediterranean border, or trained against a sunny fence. A natural choice for a large patio container (40+ litres) where root restriction is built in. See our what to expect from outdoor plants guide for season-by-season notes.

Every Ficus carica 'Del Portogallo' we send is a strong, well-rooted young plant, hand-selected for healthy foliage and balanced shape, and packed with care to arrive in superb condition.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Portuguese Edible Fig

Plant me in full sun and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.

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About Portuguese Edible Fig

Ficus carica 'Del Portogallo' needs full sun and well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −15°C and stands a UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Architectural Exotic Borders Pots & Containers

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H5 · Hardy Exotic · down to around −15°C

RHS H5, hardy across most of the UK.

Position

Full sunSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered

full sun on a sheltered south or west-facing wall. Restrict the roots for best fruiting.

Soil

ChalkLoamSandWell-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

fertile, free-draining; tolerant of chalk and alkaline soils.

Watering

Water deeply through the first two summers. Once established it is drought-tolerant. Feed lightly in spring with a balanced fertiliser. Mulch annually. Prune lightly in late winter to keep the form and remove any frost-damaged wood. Read moreShow less

Water deeply through the first two summers. Once established it is drought-tolerant. Feed lightly in spring with a balanced fertiliser. Mulch annually. Prune lightly in late winter to keep the form and remove any frost-damaged wood.

Mature size

HeightUp to 3 m

SpreadUp to 3 m

Reaches full size in 10-20 years

Growth habit

Bushy

Flowering

Insignificant (fig flowers internal)

Seasonal colour

SpringSummerAutumnWinterFlowerFoliageBerries

Foliage

Deciduous

Pruning

Minimal pruning; in early spring remove any dead or crossing branches and shorten over-long shoots to keep the figs within easy reach.

Toxicity

Sap from leaves and stems can cause skin irritation in sunlight (phytophotodermatitis). Wear gloves when pruning. Ripe fruit is edible.

Native range

Western Asia and Mediterranean (parent species)

Family

Moraceae

Also known as

Ficus carica 'Del Portogallo'

Genus

Ficus →

Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you care for fig 'Del Portogallo'?

Plant in fertile free-draining soil in full sun on a sheltered south or west-facing wall. Restrict the roots for best fruiting. Water through the first two summers and feed lightly in spring. Prune lightly in late winter. See our Hardy Exotics seasonal guide.

How big does fig 'Del Portogallo' get?

As a wall-trained specimen, expect around 3-5 metres tall and 3-4 metres wide over ten to twenty years. It can be pruned smaller or kept very compact in a container. With root restriction the plant directs energy into fruit rather than leaves.

When will it fruit?

The plant is self-fertile and most UK figs ripen one crop per year, in late summer to early autumn (August to September). On a really warm wall in southern gardens you may get a small earlier crop too. The fruit is ripe when it droops, softens and develops a deep green-purple colour.

Can you grow figs in pots?

Yes, this is the classic UK approach. Use a 40-60 litre large patio container with free-draining loam-based compost. The pot itself restricts the roots and encourages fruiting. Stand against a sunny wall, water in summer, feed monthly with a balanced fertiliser through the growing season.

Is fig 'Del Portogallo' hardy in the UK?

Yes, in a sheltered position. Rated RHS H5, hardy to around -15C with shelter. A south or west-facing wall stores enough warmth to keep it productive across most of the UK. Fleece young plants for the first two winters and protect any developing fruits over winter.

Is the fruit edible?

Yes. 'Del Portogallo' is sold as a fruit-bearing plant for the edible harvest. The ripe figs have a deep green-purple skin with sweet pink-red flesh, brilliant fresh, dried, in jam or with cheese. Note: the sap from leaves and stems can irritate skin in sunlight, so wear gloves when pruning.

Does my plant come with a pot?

Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.

How big will my plant be when it arrives?

Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.

What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?

There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.

What should I do when my plant arrives?

First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.

Will my plant survive being shipped?

Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.

Meet the family

Everything about Ficus

Ficus plants are a popular houseplant choice and have been for decades. With their glossy foliage and ability to adapt to indoor conditions, they make beautiful additions to homes and offices. Ficus plants belong to the Moraceae family and are native to tro...

More about Ficus care

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Ficus carica 'Del Portogallo'

£39.99