i'm going down the list of UCD cuttings and trying to figure out what each are like. from this forum, i'm finding lot of positive notes regarding Excel. specially that of dennis. however, on the other forum, i found old post by gene h. indicating "sweet but without flavor". so if anyone is growing this outside of CA, what's your experience?

My experience with it is I killed all 3 cuttings I had of it quite easily:)   Though more cuttings of it are on the way to try again lol.  

The bigger honey type figs are not good ideas outside of warm places.  They tend to have mild flavors that needs heat to get character with all that sugar.  You should be fine, Pete.  

it is amazing and excellent!!!!

I can confirm that , I remember a tour at woolfskill with Dennis, we both agreed it was one of the best fig at that time, I believe it was in september.

Joe

Doesn't seem good in Washington DC area zone 7a according to 2 reports I heard and one tasting myself. Kadota its poppa bear only ripens maybe 1/5 of crop very tasty here. I suspect though if it is ripened properly and in dry conditions though--it would be excellent--like Dennis's experience.

In east Tenn Excel is excellent IF weather is dry with a big size,nice tan to amber color good figgy taste and large crunchy seeds. If rain is forecast and Excel hears the news and it is near ripe, the eye will quadruple in size, split and sour all in the blink of an eye. An exercise in frustration here

Does it have thick skin? I was hoping to find a light fig that ripened sooner than Flanders, which has a nice tender skin. I was thinking about trying Excel, but if I'm not mistaken both parents have thick skin right?

I have Peters Honey, but it's entirely different than Flanders and the skin is thick. I'm still going to give Flanders at least two more years to see if it will start to adapt to my season and ripen a bit sooner.

kadota is thick skin, but delicious if ripe and not split. only fraction make it here.