Neighbor Beth is baffled by the sudden disappearance of a fig tree from her enclosed back yard on Gates Street:
We are trying to make sense of the mystery of the missing fig tree.
We planted this fig sapling a few years ago. After losing all of the leaves, it remained a bare stalk for for a year (or two?). When I finally decided I may as well get rid of it, I climbed the slope to find – lo, and behold – it had 2 grown leaves. Miraculous! Since then, it gained about 1 leaf per year and at last count had about 6.
Last week, while Margot Mouse and I were making DIY garden gnomes, we noticed that the fig tree was COMPLETELY GONE. Nothing left but the tag. The rocks around the base were neatly moved aside.
There are some potential witnesses who guard the yard but they won’t talk, not even under the influence of catnip. I thought maybe a kid had broken it and hid the evidence but there’s no trace, nowhere. Animals? We have no deer, goats, or cows. Raccoons starting a garden? Raptured? We remain mystified.
PHOTO: Neighbor Beth
Bernalwood 
Native Plant Activists!
(Only half joking… Hope you solve that strange little mystery.)
Raccoons do love figs, but I’ve never heard of them kidnapping a whole tree before.
I am saddened for your loss.
I have planted two fig trees in my back yard. One year I harvested 3 smallish figs from the larger one, the smaller one is not in as prime of sunshine.
The next year the rats ate the entire unripe harvest – bastards. then when the unripe figs were all gone they came back and ate the leaf buds and knawed down the branches. I thought I lost both trees. pruned them back over the winter and I have a bounty harvest this year – much more than I can use. OP, If you would like some of these, please reach out to me soon at robmokry(at)covad.net Also I could trim back a sucker (when they come back) and give you a start. Mine are black with dark purple jam inside originally bought from Territorial Seed in Oregon. Also if anyone has some recipes Please share! I stuffed a pork loin with figs and feta with some thyme and basil tossed it on the grill and it was heaven.
Sounds like a “Community Cat” would be a great addition to your garden, nature’s organic rodent control. Check out “Tenth Life Foundation” run by two Bernal Neighbors.