I have browsed this forum for some time, but this is my first post.

I have picked from an large old fig bush for the past 2-3 years. The figs are of average quality, tan outside and honey colored inside. I got a sucker from it and now is the second year in my garden. The young tree made a lot of small figs that did not ripen. Then, yesterday as I was mulching the tree for the winter, I noted that there were 8-10 ripe figs on it. After picking I examined them closely and they are very different from those on the mother tree.

These were much darker brown, and the inside was an intense red like strawberry jam. They were wonderful tasting! But the mystery is why are they so different from the figs produced by the mother tree? Because the rippened much later? (probably 40+ days after the mother tree). Because of better soil?

Anyone care to offer an educated guess?

Welcome to the Forum......I picked a Conadria early and the flesh was light colored.....the next I waited till it was really ripe and it was a darker red.......So maybe the answer...???    A lot of Malaysians are trying to grow trees from seeds, the problem is that most will not produce fruit or good tasting fruit.....a few may do well and have same characteristics as mother tree, but may have different looking fruit, leaves, flesh....becoming what they call here a Hybrid....so this may be an answer that it originated from seed....?????   More members will chime in with their opinions...GOOD LUCK !!!!

a) figs from a young tree taste different from the mature tree (true of clones of the same tree even).  The taste will change as the tree matures.  Across the board.  Mature roots, trunks/limbs, foliage and tops, etc.
b) ripening conditions matter too.  Especially if the weather was becoming marginal for ripening at the time these ripened.  But any weather differences (amount of sunlight, amount of water/rain, temperature (especially temperature).
c) all kinds of culture differences matter too. (soil, nutrients, amount of water, etc.)

Variables like these affect all varieties.

Mike   central NY state, zone 5a

p.s.  welcome to the forum.

Thanks for the answers.  Maybe it is the super rich soil I have planted in. Since I have really poor clay soil in my yard I planted this cutting in a huge hole, 3 ft across and almost as deep filled with a mixture of aged cow manure and mulch. Also, the weather during the later ripening of those figs was certainly unusual. I guess I will have to wait what next year brings.But whatever it was, I really hope the figs on that tree taste the same next year, they were amazing! My wife and I both thought they were the best figs we have ever eaten.

Gene did get a few off inground HC that were butt ugly as the weather affected them.
In containers
later figs (stragglers) when weather changes to cold 30s-40s from pot grown ones also can have skin color change and taste change with darker interior .

Greetings and welcome to the forum

By the way, when I say that the taste changes as the tree matures, usually that means the taste improves as the tree matures (not the other way around).  So odds are that you'll really like those figs again in future years.

Mike

Then I will be really happy. I have that one, a chicago hardy (tastes great) and another unknown fig (probably brown turkey). I should be well set up with good tasting figs. But I can feel a fever coming on for another variety ;-)

I don't have much of a guess, but hey welcome to the forum!

If you removed a sucker from the roots of the original tree, it is possible that the tree was grafted, though this would be uncommon.

Many things affect a fig's color and and taste: soil, water quality, water pH, fertilizer, weather, amount of sunlight, breed of the neighbor's dog that uses it for daily "activities", etc.

The weather during which these ripened (the past week) is certainly different from the usual ripening time for the mother bush in late Aug or early Sept. And we have had unseasonably cool days too.