'The Chelsea Fig' standard tree

Many Londoners know of a fabulous and fruitful Fig Tree, growing on the banks of the Thames where Chelsea Bridge meets The Embankment. Each Summer it's huge crops are joyfully plundered - either by flocks of parakeets high up in the tree - or cheeky human scrumpers lower down where it can be reached. Either way, it produces huge crops of figs every year. So well-known is this specific tree, it even featured as the main hideout in William Boyd's novel Ordinary Thunderstorms.

Fruit grower Will Sibley knew of this tree, and had tasted it's fruit. he took samples away to analyse, and concluded it was a chance seedling - a single and unique tree like no other variety grown. So good was the flavour and yeild, he set about propagating and grafting trees to sell from it - and here we are now selling them.

Now called 'The Chelsea Fig', every single tree is identical the one by the river. Get yourself a piece of London history and folklore, and grow them in your garden.