- August 12, 2026
- By Karen Shih ’09
If you’re like me, figs have never topped your list of favorite fruits. Brown, a little mushy, somehow cloying and bland at the same time, they rarely show up at the grocery store and only occasionally on menus as part of a salad or dessert.
University of Maryland Facilities Management horticulturist Sam Bahr wants to change that, one surprising bite at a time.
“This one tastes a little like Sprite,” he said last week, holding out a pink slice of the Mega Celeste variety, which retains green skin when ripe and indeed echoes the effervescent, bright flavors of the soft drink.
It was refreshing in the sweltering August sun as Bahr led a full day of tours of the UMD Arboretum and Botanical Garden’s fig and persimmon collection. About 60 enthusiasts from across the state and the UMD community got a chance to try the underappreciated fruit (at least in the United States)—and maybe start a little gardening project of their own.
For the last three years, Bahr has led the transformation of the land around Tawes Hall, planting dozens of fig varieties to better understand which ones can thrive in Maryland’s temperature extremes, and most importantly, which ones taste good. Native to and popular in the Middle East and Mediterranean regions and likely the first fruit cultivated for human consumption in 9000 B.C.E., just two cultivars have traditionally been grown in the northern regions of the United States, the Brown Turkey and Chicago Hardy, both ripening to a dark purple.
Sam Bahr, center in rainbow striped shirt, leads a fig tour with support from vest-wearing intern Abigail Butina '28, a plant sciences major.
“People have so many stories because figs are all over the world, about their grandfather’s fig tree or their grandmother’s fig jam,” said Catherine Hambly of Germantown, Md., a member of the DMV Fig Growers group that had several members sign up for the 8 a.m. tour. “It’s a really nice cross-section of society.”
She was one of 10 raffle winners who took home rooted cuttings that Bahr gave out throughout the day. The plants are remarkably productive even in the first couple years, unlike most other fruit trees, making them a rewarding option. Able to thrive in pots as well as in the ground, they’re great for people with limited yard space and want the health benefits of growing some of their own food, said Bahr.
During the hour-long tour, he explained the different varieties, how long each one had been planted, lessons he’s learned through trial and error, and he plucked ripe figs off the trees for people to sample (persimmons won’t be ready until the fall).
“I have a new shopping list!” said Yuliya Gorenman of Silver Spring, Md., who took copious notes on the map and list Bahr handed out.
In addition to the 23 young trees near Tawes are additional fig trees northeast of Preinkert Hall, at the southwest end of the Eppley Recreation Center near the outdoor pool, as well as in the Community Learning Garden, the fruits of which get harvested for the Campus Pantry. (The UMD Arboretum Explorer database has precise locations and names of each of the trees; search 'fig' under "Common Name")
For Terps and other community members who want to try some, here’s the rule: Each person can pick three fruits per day for their own personal use—no buckets, please! “We want as many people to try them as possible. The goal is to share and taste,” said Bahr. If you’re not sure how to pick a ripe one, Bahr sometimes offers samples to people in the Tawes and Benjamin buildings.
“You’d be stunned at how many people have never tried a fig and how they are so against it, but then someone takes one, and all of a sudden, you see that light bulb going off, and it’s like, ‘Wow, this is good!’” said Bahr, noting that figs are best fresh from the tree and don’t survive well during packaging and shipping. (Grocery store versions “look good but taste like water,” said Gorenman.)
Bahr even picked up some new information from participants. Toiya Hill of Crofton, Md., who has a small business making jam and just planted her first fig tree last year, shared how the leaves can be used to make tea as well as a simple syrup with a coconutty flavor, mixed in lemonade or drizzled over French toast. And Ian Hertzmark, who owns Migrash Farm in Baltimore County, contributed growing and overwintering tips and offered a tour of his own fig tree collection and to start a cutting swap, which Bahr accepted.
Though fewer UMD community members are around during the summer, when figs ripen, he hopes more Terps will sign up for the tours next year and be converted.
“If there’s a fig you like, grow it!” Bahr said.
Bahr cuts a ripe fig to give samples to visitors.
Topics
Campus & CommunityUnits
Facilities Management