Fruit first or flower first?

No, it is not yet another chicken and egg paradox. Normally a flower appears first and then the flower turns into a fruit. But not so in fig and other fig relatives. Many Indian folklores tell you that no one can ever see flowers of a fig tree suggesting that it is actually a miracle tree – bearing fruits without flowers!

Actually, fig trees do put off flowers, but inside the fruit! What you call as fig is actually not a fruit but only a receptacle that encloses the flowers inside.

This receptacle has a one-way (?) hole at the bottom that allows pollinating insects to enter in. They enter, pollinate the flowers and even lay eggs inside. 

But unfortunately they may get trapped inside since they cannot come out! They finally die and get absorbed in the fruit itself (vegetarians among you may find it a bit nauseating – but don’t worry it is too small to notice!). 

In due course, the eggs laid by the insect hatch and the worms come out. That is why you sometimes see worms inside figs and other related fruits. But not all fig flowers get pollinated and so the tiny seeds that are formed will normally be hollow shells.