Fig Tree Mosaic Virus

by Michael Momeni
(Southern California)

I have cherished picking fig fruits from my Brown Turkey (Ficus Carica) until this year. I had planted it in a big container last year. The beautiful big leaves on my fig tree provided some shade on the hot south wall of my southern California home.

I noticed early this year yellow-brownish spot on most of the leaves and then some turning yellow and dropping from the branches. A little investigation identified the problem as infestation with the fig mosaic virus. The following was reported as the problem:
“Fig mosaic is a viral disease believed to be carried by eriophyid mites (Aceria fici). Symptoms first appear as a mottled, yellow pattern on affected foliage. The yellow spots sometimes become surrounded by rust-colored borders as the disease progresses. Some fig varieties also experience leaf deformation, premature leaf drop and stunted foliage or fruit growth.

Because no chemical controls exist to treat fig mosaic virus as of April 2013, Purdue University's agricultural experts suggest removing and destroying affected fig trees to prevent spreading the virus to your other landscape plants.”
I had to destroy the plant. I talked with the plant manager of the store that had sold me the tree. He was willing to replace it with another fig tree. An examination of the plants at the nursery indicated that all of them were in early stages of developing the same spots on the leaves on the fig trees. I let the nursery plant manger know about the infestation. I am hoping that he would remove those infested plants and would destroy them and would not sell them.

I am worried that the virus could infest the other plants in my landscape.