Ice Crystal fig

Fruit · Shrub · Tree

Ficus carica ‘Ice Crystal’

Ice Crystal fig

Also known as: Ficus 'Ice Crystal', Ficus carica Ice Crystal

A hardy fig grown for its deeply cut, lacy leaves like snowflakes, with small edible figs on established plants.

  • Full sun
  • 2–4 m (7–13 ft)
  • 2–4 m (7–13 ft)
  • H5 · Zone 7
  • Deciduous
  • RHS Award of Garden Merit

Overview

This unusual form of the common fig, a species native to western Asia and the eastern Mediterranean, is grown mainly for its foliage. Each leaf is so deeply and finely divided that it looks lacy, like a large green snowflake, before turning yellow in autumn. It makes a bushy, rounded shrub or small tree, smaller than most figs, and established plants produce small edible figs that ripen to purple-red. It is hardy to about -15°C (5°F) and holds an RHS Award of Garden Merit. In cool-summer climates the fruit ripens best against a warm, sunny wall; in warm climates it can produce two crops a year.

At a Glance

Sun Full sun
Height 2–4 m (7–13 ft)
Spread 2–4 m (7–13 ft)
Hardiness H5 · Zone 7
Soil Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Moisture Moist well drained
Habit Bushy, Rounded
Water Moderate
Maintenance Easy

Growing Conditions

Min. Temperature -15°C (5°F)
pH Range 6–8
Fertility Average
Drainage Free Draining

Aspect Suitability

  • South-facing
  • West-facing

Site Tolerance

  • Coastal
  • Drought

Soil Tolerance

  • Clay
  • Chalk
  • Sandy
  • Loam
  • Acid
  • Neutral pH
  • Alkaline

Foliage

Ficus carica ‘Ice Crystal’ (Ice Crystal fig)
Ficus carica ‘Ice Crystal’ (Ice Crystal fig)
Persistence Deciduous
Colour Green
Leaf shape / texture palmately_dissected
  • Autumn colour
  • Architectural foliage

Foliage interest: April–October

Seasonal Timeline

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Foliage
Fruiting
Propagate
Harvest
  • Foliage Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
  • Fruiting Aug Sep Oct
  • Propagate Jul Aug Nov Dec
  • Harvest Aug Sep Oct

How to propagate

Ways to grow more Ice Crystal fig: the usual steps for each method.

Hardwood cuttings Nov–Dec Easy

You'll need: Secateurs, and a spare corner of soil or a deep pot of gritty compost.

  1. Once the leaves have fallen, cut pencil-thick stems of this year's growth.
  2. Cut them into 15 to 25 cm lengths: a sloping cut just above a bud at the top, a straight cut just below a bud at the bottom.
  3. Push them into a slit in the ground (add some sand to the bottom on heavy soil) or a deep pot, so two-thirds is buried.
  4. Leave them somewhere sheltered, and water in dry spells.
How long
Slow but sure: roots by the following autumn.
It's worked when
Leaves in spring, and the cutting holds firm when tugged.
Then
Lift them and plant them where they're to grow the following autumn.
Semi-ripe cuttings Jul–Aug Takes a little care

You'll need: Clean, sharp secateurs, small pots, gritty compost, and rooting powder if you have it.

  1. Choose this year's shoots that are firm at the base but still soft at the tip, and cut pieces 10 to 15 cm long.
  2. Trim just below a leaf joint and take off the lower leaves; pinch out the soft tip.
  3. Dip the cut end in rooting powder if you have some.
  4. Push them into pots of gritty compost, water them in and cover with a clear bag.
  5. Keep them in a cold frame, greenhouse or bright windowsill out of direct sun.
How long
Roots in about 6 to 10 weeks.
It's worked when
New leaves, and the cutting resists when you tug it gently.
Then
Keep them somewhere cool and frost-free over winter, and pot them up separately in spring.
Layering Jul–Aug Easy

You'll need: A bent wire or tent peg (or a stone), and a small cane.

  1. Choose a low, bendy stem that reaches the ground.
  2. Where it touches the soil, scrape away a little bark on the underside, or make a small slanting cut.
  3. Peg that part down into the soil and cover it, leaving the tip sticking up; tie the tip to a cane.
  4. Keep it moist.
How long
Roots in 6 to 12 months.
It's worked when
New growth from the tip, and roots where it was pegged down.
Then
Once it has rooted, cut it free from the parent and plant it where you want it.

Take semi-ripe cuttings in summer, or hardwood cuttings about 20cm long in late autumn after leaf fall. Cuttings keep the lacy leaf form; seedlings will not.

Maintenance Calendar

  • Feb Prune in late winter, before sap rises, removing crossing, damaged or frost-killed shoots to keep an open shape
  • May Feed pot-grown plants with a high-potash fertiliser, but in open ground avoid rich feeding, which gives leaves at the expense of figs
  • Aug Pick figs when they are soft, hang down and show a small split at the base
  • Nov Rub off any large, unripe figs left at leaf fall in cool climates, as they will not ripen and can rot

Garden Design

Works well in: Edible / Kitchen Garden, Mediterranean, Modern / Contemporary, Tropical / Exotic

Place it where the snowflake leaves can be seen against a plain wall or sky. Restricting the roots in a large pot or lined planting pit keeps it compact and encourages fruit.

Companion planting: Mediterranean shrubs, Lavenders, Grasses, Olives

Wildlife Value

  • Birds
  • Shelter
  • Food source
  • Food

Safety

  • Toxic to dogs
  • Toxic to cats
  • Skin irritant

Ripe figs are edible. The milky sap contains furanocoumarins that can cause painful blistering when sap-covered skin is exposed to sunlight, so wear gloves and long sleeves when pruning. Leaves and sap can upset dogs and cats if chewed.