Update : 08/13/2015 - Hello, I wanted to report that my first year plant raised from UNK Williams' dark cutting produced one fig and it is not really puuple but was more olive green/bronze with purplish hue, with am amber inside. Absolutely no seed crunch. I had the tree mostly under shade and I am not sure if this caused the fruit a different coloration than what the owner told me. Please see below the last 3 pics in this post #1. The friut was mildly sweet, almost jelly consistancy and a bit watery.
Any idea what this cultivar coule be?
Update : All cuttings accounted for. No more cuttings available at this time. Thanks for interest among forum members that want to grow this find.
Interesting find this week. While talking to my friend Cindy at work, I found out she grew up eating figs and fig tree in her family home, west of Charlotte, NC and her mom still owned the home. Cindy found out from her mom Mrs.Williams, that the tree has been in the ground since 1948. The tree was put up by Cindy’s father in 1948 which came from an Italian friend Joe Garibaldi.
Mrs.Williams is 91 years old and has moved to live with Cindy in Northern country side North of Charlotte since last year.
Cindy was kind enough to take me to show the tree this afternoon during lunch break. The tree is not being maintained, but was strong. I noticed the tree had been cut down several times in the near past, but a number of strong bushy branches from the ground were available for me to get some good cuttings.
I could not get any more information than the tree produced purple figs and in abundance all summer. I saw some young dried and wrinkled up figs in some limbs and the crop seemed to have a pear shape and short neck.
During another local scouting last week I was able to get some cuttings of couple different figs trees from a kind Korean gentleman by name Knam, in North Charlotte. Mr.Knam's English was not good but had a warm and welcoming heart to share his tree cuttings with me. He mentioned one of his figs were small and black while the other was large purplish brown. He seems to love his fig trees and mentioned the figs were very good. He got the trees from members of his church and have had them in ground for more than 10 years. Again, I could not get much information, since we were struggling to communicate with each other. By the way, when I asked for cuttings, he brought a hand saw to saw off an entire limb for me and I had to stop him. I drove back home to get my stem pruners to get the cuttings. The cuttings were taken on 12/30.
I will post pictures of the cuttings soon.
I will be growing these cuttings later this winter. I may have some to give away and will post in the forum when available for members that are interested.
Update : here is the picture of cuttings I got today. The 12/30 cuttings are in the crisper. Update 02-17-2015 : I have a few cuttings rooted successfully from UNK Williams dark. I would like to send a few of these cuttings to interested forum members. I have total 5 packages of 2 cuttings that are atleast 6 inches long and minimum 3 nodes. Sending it for shipping of $5:00 per package. These are healthy cuttings and roots readily. Please PM if interested. Some of the forum members have sent me cuttings for shipping. I would like to give them first preference if they want these cuttings. I have to caution and be up front about these cuttings. I DO NOT KNOW HOW THE FRUITS WILL TURN OUT SINCE I GOT THE CUTTINGS JUST THIS WINTER. SO THIS IS FOR YOUR EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT TO KEEP IT IF YOU DECIDE. All I know of this fig is it is a dark fig and cold hardy for North Carolina weather zone 7a to 7b. The tree has been on the ground for a very long time. Here are some if the pictures of Williams dark that has rooted for me. Mr.Knam's cuttings are not rooting well so I have decided to hang on to them. Thanks. Mohan.