--- title: Who Gives a Fig? Try a Fresh One and Find Out. date: 2026-08-12T05:30:00-04:00 author: University of Maryland canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/who-gives-a-fig-try-a-fresh-one-and-find-out" section: Articles --- # Who Gives a Fig? Try a Fresh One and Find Out. *August 12, 2026* — by [Karen Shih ’09](/author/karen-shih) > UMD horticulturist hopes to open minds, inspire community members to plant fruit trees with tasting tours. *On August 7, 2026, the UMD Arboretum hosts five tours of the Tawes Hall Fig and Persimmon collection during which visitors taste and learn about different varieties of figs grown on campus. Photo by Dylan Singleton/University of Maryland — University of Maryland horticulturist Sam Bahr discusses different varieties of figs during a series of tours for the UMD Arboretum and Botanical Garden in August. (Photos by Dylan Singleton)* 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](https://arboretum.umd.edu/)’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. *On August 7, 2026, the UMD Arboretum hosts five tours of the Tawes Hall Fig and Persimmon collection during which visitors taste and learn about different varieties of figs grown on campus. Photo by Dylan Singleton/University of Maryland — 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](https://www.instagram.com/umdclgarden/), the fruits of which get harvested for the [Campus Pantry](https://campuspantry.umd.edu/). (The UMD [Arboretum Explorer](https://maps.umd.edu/abg/) database has precise locations and names of each of the trees; search 'fig' under "Common Name") *Sam Bahr cuts a fig to give tasting samples to visitors — Bahr cuts a ripe fig to give samples to visitors.* *Figs on a tree* **Topics:** [Campus & Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community) **Units:** [Facilities Management](https://today.umd.edu/topic/facilities-management)