Astoria’s first-ever fig tree exchange is this Sunday

Jordan Engel just wants to make Astoria a more fruit tree-friendly place.

“Astoria is kind of the fruit tree capital of the city,” the former urban orchardist said. “ The fig culture in Astoria runs really deep.”

To preserve and grow Astoria’s diverse array of heirloom fig strains, Engel is hosting a fig tree scion exchange this Sunday. “Scion” refers to the branches that can be used to plant new trees.

Attendees are encouraged to bring or take fresh fig cuttings that — with each ideally cut to have a flat top, an angled bottom and three or more nodes, according to a promotional flier. The goal is that these cuttings might be planted in the city.

Engel, who works as an urban planner at the MTA, said he didn’t realize how flush with figs Astoria was until moving there and being gifted his first fresh fig from a neighbor’s tree last year.

“I spent the rest of the summer walking around and talking to all the fig growers in Astoria, getting their stories and documenting how prevalent they are,” he said of the more than 400 properties he discovered were growing figs.

Fig trees are not officially on the list of 76 sanctioned tree species approved to be planted on New York City streets, but many of the trees Engel counted in his informal survey were planted in private-public spaces like building courtyards and parking lots.

Many of the trees, his neighbors told him, made their way to Queens as cuttings brought over from Europe or the Middle East by their grandparents.

Engel said he believes the city should consider adding fig trees to the sanctioned list, which considers the amount of mess a tree makes with its falling leaves and fruit — though Engel noted that fig trees do not drop their fruit. Instead, the fruit must be picked.

He said he hopes this weekend’s exchange can raise awareness of the neighborhood’s fig culture.

“ I'm excited for this to be a launching point for making figs part of the permanent culture of Astoria,” he said.

The fig tree scion exchange is Sunday, March 16 from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Astoria Food Pantry, 25-82 Steinway St.