This is the first fig produced by my tree so it doesn't look very black but the taste is outstanding! Can't wait to see how these turn out next year.

Very nice looking fig, I was able to sample the Col de Dame white at Adriano's this season and it was excellent and from what I hear all three col de dames are excellent tasting.  Thanks for taking the time to post the pics

The three col de dames differ only in colour.

Congratulation Doctor Leon:
I am anxious to get ripe fruits from my young  tree.
I have information,it is just as delicious as The white variant if not better,and need less heat.
I tasted the white in 2007,2009,and 2010,and it improved every year in vlavor and sugar,and this 2010 fruit was ,above my expectation, delicious.

Super looking fig

Totally awesome fig Leon!  One day I will have some good Col de Dame figs.  One of these days!  Great job leon.  great job.

Leon. the fig is beautiful---good job! I can't wait for a taste of my Blanc(maybe next year).

Herman/Aponist - glad to know that all three varieties of CDD taste great.

Is the eye open?  If so, how does it do in wet/humid weather?  Does it have a tendency to split and sour easily?

It looks like the pulp is solid, with no open cavity.  Is it?

On the three plants, are the eyes all exactly the same?

Thanks,

noss

All three cultivars are the same,tight eye,no souring or splitting,solid interior,very good for the south,thow rare.
Dan Abadie in La,grows one and he is impressed with it.

Hi Leon,
thanks for sharing your pictures.
May i ask if you ate  with the skin on or was it peeled.

Good looking and good size fig.
I never thought of acquiring one because in most descriptions (if not all) it was mentioned as late ripening variety.
Now Herman mentioned that it takes less heat. Should not it be ripening early if it takes less heat?
If less heat requirement does not make it early ripening then what other genetic characteristics make it late ripening (if some the descriptions are correct about late ripening)?

In Catalonia, locality of origin of Coll de Dama, the variant most abundant and the favorite is black. I have read isolated opinions telling that the black variant is a bit better than the white, however I have never read the contrary. Maybe who say that are somewhat subjective.
It is not my opinion, I don't know if it is true or a myth, it is what I have read.

Otawan, Size is also something that is important.
Very small fruitting figs get ripe earlyer than large figs.
The Black fig generally needs less heat to ripe.
Col de Dame black needs less heat than white but it is not an early fig.
If you Otawan will be able to get ripe fruits from Col de Dame late in the season,it will likelly be from black variant.
It is just the way it goes.

All this positive info is sad news for me. My Col DD noir cuttings never made it inspite of the TLC. They sure rooted easy & fast. Unfortunately their robust healthy growth seem to be curtailed by rot. Would have to try to get some cuttings this Fall/Winter.

I have the  (dark type) but very small at about 5 inches but healthy and growing late in season . Almost lost it to mites.
I hope to see how it does in my yard in pot in my climate in future.

I have 'heard' that the CdD-Grise tastes the best
and that the Noir is the best looking one of the [CdD- black, gray & white] trio...

Col De Dame white from UCDavis suffers from Fig Mosaic virus,and the other 2 do not.
I think the variants without FM virus makes better tasting fruits than the variants with Fig mosaic virus.
Plus they produce larger harvest,constantly.
My Col De Dame Wht,from UCDavis Produce fruits one year then colapses down for next recuperates and the following year produces again.
I think that ,this problem is because the FM Problem,depleting energy from the tree.
And also getting ripe later than normal,and dworfed fruits is also for the same reason,FMV.

If you want to Know the real quality of ,Col De Dame,get one from a different source,clean,be it white Black or Grise.

Col De Dame White is an awesome tasting fig. It is hands down the best tasting fig in my collection of over one hundred cultivars. From my fig trials, I know that it is very rain tolerant (i.e. its flavor is not diminished and it does not swell & split, nor go sour due to its small eye which keeps all bugs out). I actually had standing water around my tree in the past when I picked some fantastic tasting figs. My tree has produced a few breba figs for me that are very good tasting. However, brebas were not near the taste level of those main crop figs.

FYI......My climate is hotter and longer than Jon's climate in San Diego and I can better ripen those late season figs. South Louisiana usually has a dry weather pattern in the fall unless we have a tropical storm or hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. Dry weather in South Louisiana means a Mediterranean type climate which is perfect for ripening figs. To that good climate add Mississippi river delta soil which is perfect for growing figs.........and you can see why South Louisiana (i.e area South of I-10) is arguably the best location in the United States to grow figs in the ground for maximum taste.

Right now we are having perfect fig weather in my area.  Many mid season figs that are now ripening are off the chart good.....no BS. Some of these mid season figs are actually better tasting that the earlier fig varieties.

Here's a link where I describe some of the fruiting characteristics of the figs that I am studying.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fig/msg0621220325558.html?46

Dan

Well, Dan, you answered the question I was just about to post, i.e., what is the best tasting white fig?

I have a few and none of them have really tripped my trigger...so far.  Mine are all very young and few have produced.  Brooklyn White is "nice" but doesn't compare to any of the black varieties I have.  Lattarolla is sweet, butI only got one, the tree is only 2, and it is just...sweet.  The Armenian was the surprise.  It isn't supersweet, but it had/has (several more rippening shortly...if I can keep the woodchuck off of them) and nice, delicate flavor and a delightful texture...and it is BIG.  The LSU Gold hasn't produced yet.  The "Verte" I have is a train wreck (nasty seeds and not a lot of flavor). Morle Paradiso hasn't produced.

Tell me what other white fig I really NEED for the Northeast...orther than CDD white

C.J.<who probably doesn't have the patience required to grow figs>

Ever heard of WHITE GREEK ? Jon had said its good one. Another one is Batalagia Green.

Hi Paully,
i have heard of a white Greek fig called Kalamata White .
I have the Kalamta Black course you probably figured that - no no white i have and dont want. 

Hey Jon dont like Brown Turkey so i can have my say.

Also if you read thread i have the Coll dark type.  ; )
Just me.

Beautiful fig, Leon.

C.J., Taste is subjective, but Gene's Paradiso is a great white fig for the Northeast.  A lot of the whites don't develop flavor if the temperature drops - Paradiso does. 

 

Jenia,

Smith is a very good tasting white fig and one that I highly recommend to anyone in my area. It is medium sized, red pulp, sweet & rich tasting fig. It is one of my favorites. It  produces two crops in my area. It is an Italian heirloom fig that came to the New Orleans area many years ago with immigrant settlers.

I also highly recommend Joe Morle's White Triana. It is a very sweet variety (almost too sweet) and never drops its figs....never.  IMO it has nearly perfect fig fruiting characteristics. It is not as rich tasting as Smith. My grandson loves this fig because it is consistently very good eating skin and all. The amber colored pulp strain of Golden Celeste (note there are multiple strains of GC going around) is very good too. It has a tight eye and is both rain tolerant & bug resistant. It too is not as rich tasting as Smith. If you like your figs especially juicy.....then Jack Lily is the fig for you. It is so juicy that you actually SLURP this sweet fig rather than eat it. Dalmatie is looking real good thus far in my area. It is a large white fig with very good flavor......still too early to recommend. JH Adriatic, and Strawberry Adriatics are good figs too. Yellow Marseilles has large seeds within the pulp that gives this sweet fig a pleasant nutty taste that I really like. I am trialing many other white figs in search of the cultivars that perform best in my climate.

But, Smith is the one I would recommend, if you like a full flavored fig. I have tasted Joe Morle's Paradiso fig.....but, not yet Gene's strain or Battaglia Green. 

Jsvand,

Yes, my CdDB came from UCD. Keep in mind that CdDB needs a long and hot season to ripen its figs to perfection.

Dan