The ancient history of edible figs can be traced to the geographical location of present day Anatolia in Turkey and neighbouring areas of that region. Recent archaeological finding even point out that edible figs (Ficus carica L.) have been domesticated and grown as a food crop as far as the Neolithic age (Mordechai, Hartmann and Bar-Yosef. 2006). It also sited numerous times in the religious scriptures of three important Semitic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). As centuries passed figs made their way across parts of Asia and southern Europe. Undoubtedly, thousands of cultivars, mostly unnamed, have been developed or came into existence as humans migrated across the world and planted figs outside their natural habitats (Flaishman, Rodov and Stover. 2008).

In the North American context, figs were introduced into the American continent by Spanish colonizers during the 16th century (Condit. 1955).  The development of cultivation of figs on a commercial scale was developed in California during the early 20th century. To this, with the arrival of immigrants from Mediterranean countries there was a new introduction of varieties into the American continent. Most of these varieties were brought in as scions in the luggage of the new immigrants into the ‘’New World’’. In Canada, figs are mainly cultivated in British Columbia were the climate is more favourable.  Additionally, with the history of immigration from Italy, Portugal and Greece, fig trees can be also found in neighbourhoods of these communities across Canada.

References:

Condit, I.J. (1955). Fig varieties. A monograph. Hilgardia 23(11): 323-538.
Flaishman A Moshe, Rodov Victor, Stover Ed. (2008).The Fig: Botany, Horticulture, and Breeding. Horticultural reviews, v. 34, 113-197
Mordechai E. Kislev, Anat Hartmann, and Ofer Bar-Yosef. (2 June 2006). Early Domesticated Fig in the Jordan Valley. Science 312 (5778), 1372. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1125910]