Perhaps the most familiar to most people is the common fig (Ficus carica). Native to Asia and the Middle East but widely replanted elsewhere, it produces those sweet, chewy fruits found in most grocery stores. Archaeologists say that the common fig may have been one of the first plants domesticated by humans. It even makes an appearance in the Bible, when Adam and Eve use fig leaves to cover themselves in the Garden of Eden. Later, sculptors and painters used strategically placed fig leaves to provide privacy to some of their figures, too.
Christianity isn’t the only religion to give figs a prominent role. An Asian species, Ficus religiosa, is considered sacred by Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists. The Buddha is said to have found enlightenment by sitting under the sacred fig, which is also known as the bo or pipal tree. Islam also considers some figs to be holy.