Figs actually do have flowers; the blooms hide inside the fruit and open quietly

Figs actually do have flowers, but their flowers are not exposed on the outside; instead, they are hidden inside the swollen receptacle. In botany, this special inflorescence is called a syconium. The round little fruit we usually see is actually a hollow receptacle, densely packed inside with many tiny flowers.

Because the flowers bloom inside and are almost impossible to notice from the outside, people in ancient times mistakenly believed that figs did not flower, and the name "fig" (literally "flowerless fruit") has been passed down ever since. If you cut open a ripe fig, you can see many thread-like structures in the center of the flesh, and that is where its true flowers are.

The pollination method of figs is also rather special. In the wild, they mainly rely on an insect called the fig wasp to crawl inside the receptacle and help pollinate them. However, most commonly cultivated varieties are capable of parthenocarpy, meaning they can set fruit smoothly without pollination, so home growers do not need to worry about pollination.

Fig fruits are soft, glutinous and sweet, and can be eaten fresh directly, or dried into fruit leather or processed into jam, and are deeply loved by people. They are fairly adaptable to the environment, and cuttings root easily, so they can be grown in courtyards or on balconies, and are relatively low-maintenance, making them a very suitable fruit tree for home cultivation.