Question for all experienced fig connoisseurs.

Which fig variety: 

1. Tastes excellent (I like strawberry, raspberry, complex flavors- just really good ya know?)
2. Is early ripening (June-August)
3. Is prolific?

I have a three year old Tiger Striped Panache, Alma and a Black Mission that produces lots of figs but, it figs too late for my climate. Just as the earth on my side of the globe starts shifting away from the sun, I am presented with a crop of green never to be ripened figs that will never make it into anyone's belly. Pity.

I live in Maryland zone 7a and NEED some fig trees that can give me consistent figs and not just pretty green leaves (though I read that you can make a tea from them that is good for those with diabetes. http://kimberlyshaw.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/08/fig-.html)

Also, if you know of any sources whyby they can be purchased please add that as well. 

Many thanks in advance.

marseilles black vs would be one of  the most reliable, prolific, early ripening in your climate.  Mine were pass out good when they got over ripe and a little dry.  macool and gino's good bets also.  all are pretty easy to get from this forum or ebay

Grown in large containers and doing fig shuffle -  Ronde de Bordeaux would be good candidate.

Many potted figs doing fig shuffle will ripen in month of August.
This year 2013 spring was cold and fig shuffle started late but Ronde produced first perfectly ripe plateful of figs 3rd week of August.

Desert king is a good option,not sure how cold it gets where you are.

Celeste

It would be helpful to know whether you are growing in-ground or in a container.  From what I have heard the winters are too cold here in Maryland for Desert King to give a reliable breba crop when planted in-ground. I believe Tam grows this one in a container - maybe he can weigh in.  Filacciano Bianco (also a San Pedro fig) is able to consistently produce a nice breba crop in southern MD when planted in-ground.  You might consider this one as a way to get very good figs early in July.  I second Martin's suggestion of RdB - it would be a good candidate for an in-ground fig as well.  I'm surprised that Mission is not ripening figs for you in our climate - how old is the tree?  I have friends in Bethesda who have an in-ground Black Mission tree and it does very well for them.  (They got it commercially so I suppose there is some chance that it is not actually a Black Mission though its leaves and fruit seem consistent with the name.)  I also agree with MvsB which you now have. 

Figs that I planted in ground and are producing for me are Hardy Chicago and an unknown green fig. They had both froze to the ground but still ripen their main crop. I also have a Black Triana that was covered well and did not freeze and still ripened a good bit of figs and they're still ripening. Celeste should be a good candidate too but it's mainly sugary with no fruity flavor.

For excellent and early and productive , I'm with Martin on Ronde de Bordeaux.
For very good and early and productive  , Florea and Marseilles Black VS as well as others.

Thanks for all of your inputs. All of my figs are in containers. My Mission fig is about 5 1/2 feet tall and about 3 or so years old. I got it from Willis Orchard. I got it last fall.

The Dessert King as well as all of my figs are containerized. My Black Mission is about 5 feet tall I got it fromWillis Orchards and is in bearing age.

You might want to post the leaves for your Black Mission (and fruit if it were to ripen) here on the forum so the ID experts can weigh in on whether it is really a Black Mission.  I've been thinking of doing the same with my friend's tree just to make sure.  Did you move it outdoors relatively early in the Spring to get it to break dormancy?  As you probably know, an advantage with container grown trees is that you can get them growing earlier than their in-ground counterparts.

My eventual goal is to focus more on in-ground trees rather than container but when I first started collecting varieties I paid close attention to what Herman2 posted about which varieties do well for him.  He has trialed a large number of varieties in-ground in New Jersey.  Since our season is a bit longer than his, any fig that ripens for him should definitely ripen here.  You might look up his old posts.

I have Troiano Calabrese in container and it gave me good figs in the first year right out of the box. Green Ischia also in container also made me swoon.

You can also try hardy chicago. It does really well in my yard (both in container and in ground) here in MD.

Are they in the sun all day?  I'm in 6a and I got my first Panache in late July.  We never got over 100 this summer which is very unusual.

All of my trees are in full sun. I have the Chicago Hardy. It fruited for the first time this summer. I also have Violette fu Bordeaux that I got from Burnt Ridge. It took a moment to come out of transit shock but it did put out some fruit they came just as the weather was beginning to get cooler. Next year I'll try to put out early and see what happens.