Can You Have Figs Without Wasps?
WouterFigs have a special relationship with wasps. Most of the commercially grown figs are pollinated by wasps. But there are also some species that ripen without pollination. These are known as parthenocarpic figs. Some of them are sold in garden stores or jams.
When a fig begins to develop, the flower begins to grow inside of the fruit. However, most plants want to keep the flowers visible to pollinators. Therefore, they evolved to keep their ovaries inaccessible to wasps. In fact, some figs are even treated with ficin, a chemical that blocks the ovaries from being pollinated.
To pollinate a female fig, the female wasps will enter the fig through a small opening. They will then carry pollen to the female flowers inside the fig. These pollens will fertilize the fig’s ovaries. The seeds will then begin to develop.
When the female wasp has finished pollinating the fig, she will die inside of it. This fig then becomes the mother of the next generation of wasps. The next generation will then carry pollen to the next fig. They will also carry pollen to other figs.
Some figs, like the Smyrna and San Pedro-type figs, have a special enzyme that breaks down the female Blastophaga wasp’s body before it reaches the fruit. This enzyme is what causes the crunch in figs. Figs that are harvested late in the season contain this enzyme.
Insects are essential for fruit production. Most plants want pollinators to spread their pollen. However, there are some plants that can trick plants into ripening figs without wasps.
