Fig trees are hardy customers with very good drought tolerance. They really are fruit trees from out of antiquity, up there with the oldest of known fruits still cultivated, known in Biblical times and well before, along with grapes and olives. The fruit from fig trees is either dried or eaten fresh – delicious, but is difficult to get in the market, as it has such a short shelf life, and it is actually at its best when eaten straight from the tree – hence the need to grow your own! It is cooked in breads, desserts and myriad other dishes, (some of the best cooked figs I ever ate were simply cut in half, sprinkled lightly with brown sugar, grilled and then dolloped with mascarpone cream…divine). To overcome their inability to be transported figs have been dried, which they are suited to with their high sugar content. The fruit of fig trees is also used to make a uniquely flavoured jam.