Anjeer is the common fig, a Mediterranean and West Asian fruit tree whose dried fruit fills Indian dry-fruit shops. Fresh figs are grown in India around Pune, where the Purandar fig carries a geographical indication, and in parts of Karnataka and Gujarat. The fig was among the first fruits people domesticated. Tamil athi is a different, wild Indian fig, Ficus racemosa.
- Botanical name
- Ficus carica L.
- Family
- Moraceae
- Tamil
- Anjeer
- Hindi
- Anjeer
- Sanskrit
- Phalgu
- Parts used
- Ripe fruit
- Habit
- Mediterranean fig; English fig is a shop word
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Common fig
It is a deciduous shrub or small tree with smooth grey bark and wide-spreading branches.
The leaves are large, rough and thick, with three to five deep, rounded lobes.
Broken leaves and green fruit ooze a white, milky latex.
The fruit is a hollow, pear-shaped receptacle with tiny flowers lining the inside and a small opening at the tip.
Ripe figs turn purple, brown or green-yellow, depending on the variety, and are soft with sweet pink to red flesh.
Traditional use of Common fig
Kitchen
Dried anjeer is eaten as a dry fruit, soaked overnight, or ground into anjeer barfi and milkshakes.
Indian food practice
Household
Soaked dried figs are a common Indian home remedy for constipation.
Indian household practice
Kitchen
Around the Mediterranean, fresh figs are eaten with cheese and honey or cooked into jam.
Mediterranean food practice
Modern notes on Common fig
Carbonised figs about 11,400 years old from Gilgal in the Jordan Valley come from trees that set fruit without pollination, a sign of early cultivation.
Common figs grown in India set fruit without pollination, so they do not need the fig wasp.
Other fig types, such as Smyrna figs, must be pollinated by a tiny wasp that enters the fruit.
Dried figs supply fibre, potassium, calcium and iron, but also a lot of sugar.
Common fig safety
Fig latex on skin followed by sunlight can cause painful burns and blisters, so wear gloves when pruning or picking. People with diabetes should count dried figs as sugar.
Ecology and sourcing
It is native to West Asia and the eastern Mediterranean.
Wild figs and the fig wasp depend on each other completely, a famous example of co-evolution.
Birds and bats eat ripe figs and spread the seeds.
Related plants
Also in Moraceae
Questions about Common fig
Is anjeer the same as athi?
No. Athi is Ficus racemosa, a wild Indian fig.
Do figs contain wasps?
Common figs grown for market usually set fruit without wasps.
Where are figs grown in India?
Mainly around Pune, with smaller areas in Karnataka and Gujarat.
Why does fig sap burn skin?
It contains psoralens that react with sunlight.
Should dried figs be soaked?
Soaking softens them and makes them easier to chew.
Sources
- Ficus carica L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q36146 (Ficus carica)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.