The sycomore fig (Ficus sycomorus) was a staple fruit common in orchards in Israel (II Chronicles 1:15), and can produce small, fig-shaped fruits throughout the year. They are mentioned several times in the Old Testament, most famously as Amos’s means of living. The broad, heavily branched trunks would also make it easy for a man like Zacchaeus to climb high enough to see over a crowd (Luke 19:1-4).