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Dalmatian / Dalmatia White Fig or otherwise

Would like help from the forum members in identifying the fig tree in the attached pics. It belongs to my sister and it's specific cultivar is unknown although I was thinking that, considering our heritage and Dad's love for all things Croatian, it might be a Dalmatian White / Dalmatia fig that he picked up years ago during a trip to the homeland. It is a strong producer of white good sized figs. The pictured figs were several days away from peak ripeness but were removed to save them from the birds. The smaller uncut pictured fig weighed 89 gr (she weighed it but failed to snap that picture) and these were a bit both a bit undersized according to my sister. She also indicated that they usually are much lighter / whiter in color and never have additional coloring to the skin. These figs generally have a very sweet taste that lingers when they are fully ripe and have a fresher, fruitier taste and texture when almost but not quite ripe; I actually prefer them a day or two away from full ripeness because I find that full, lingering sweetness almost cloying; others like them oozing with sweet honey at their peak of ripeness.

Hopefully the pics of plant and leaf and figs inside and out will provide members with enough info to help identify the variety.

Thanks,
IMG_0314-1.jpg  Tony image1-1.jpg 

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It is ,Known as Dalmatie!.!!!
Some people call the inferior ,Brunswick,as  under the name Dalmatian,so do not use ,the name Dalmatian,or Dalmatia,as there aRE A  lot of Brunswick type fig tree called that way.
Brunswick reassemble, Dalmatie but it is thicker fruit and notorious for souring before ripe.
Your fruits are far from ideal looking Dalmatie,it should be with no hole in the center and ,dark red interior.
The plant is missing something and is under stress.
However rest assured it is Dalmatie.
Here is mine: and how your fruits should look if plant was in good shape!
Dalmatie frts many.JPG  Dalmatie tree.JPG    Dalmatiefrts 4.JPG


My Dalmatie is same as Herman's.
Red inside, closed eye, no big hole in center.
Tony, also I have Brunswick, inside is more similar to your fig.
But outside your fig looks like Dalmatie.

Herman, Serge! Thank you so very much for your feedback.... I also have another fig from my Dad with significantly more pronounced finger like lobes which he received from his Greek neighbor and which I had hypothesized was Vasilika Sika / Dalmatie. The leaves of that fig are very similar to fig leaves I have seen posted that were identified as Vasilika Sika / Dalmatie however they are quite different from the leaves of this tree... Is it possible that they are the same plant even though the leaves looks so different? If this tree is a Dalmatie and its leaf lobes are chunkier than the other, than what, I wonder could the other variety be? The other plant has no figs on this this year but I made several air layers on the in ground plant in order to get it back into a pot since it has died back each winter and not strung back strongly and I don't want to loose it.

Thanks,
Tony

Dalmatie in Russia. Ин.Далма.Дождь.08.14.16..jpg  Ин.Далма.Р.08.18.16..jpg 


Hi tsparozi,

I suppose that is an Istrian variety, havent seen this in Dalmatia.
http://www.istrianet.org/istria/flora/fruit-nuts/smokva1.htm

@Werter1 - Tomi... I don't know... It is possible that this fig is a synonym for one of our varieties such as the Petrovaca White (Bijela) or one of the other varieties. I am trying to figure this all out myself....

@Vladis Thank You.... The pics of yours show a nicely ripe and moist fig.... The figs in my pics were not quite there yet and look dry by comparison; Herman suggested that the plant might be stressed; that is certainly possible although the potted plant itself doesn't show much stress based on the leaves (possibly just a light touch of FMV). Not sure as to what kind of fertilizer routine my Sister has followed this year and the plant may be missing nutrients. I do know that it's root ball was cut back this past fall when it went dormant and I don't know the effect that had on this years fruit production (although my Sis said the figs are smaller so far than in past years...

Thanks again for your feedback and comments....
Tony

Quote:
Originally Posted by tsparozi
Would like help from the forum members in identifying the fig tree in the attached pics. It belongs to my sister and it's specific cultivar is unknown although I was thinking that, considering our heritage and Dad's love for all things Croatian, it might be a Dalmatian White / Dalmatia fig that he picked up years ago during a trip to the homeland. It is a strong producer of white good sized figs. The pictured figs were several days away from peak ripeness but were removed to save them from the birds. The smaller uncut pictured fig weighed 89 gr (she weighed it but failed to snap that picture) and these were a bit both a bit undersized according to my sister. She also indicated that they usually are much lighter / whiter in color and never have additional coloring to the skin. These figs generally have a very sweet taste that lingers when they are fully ripe and have a fresher, fruitier taste and texture when almost but not quite ripe; I actually prefer them a day or two away from full ripeness because I find that full, lingering sweetness almost cloying; others like them oozing with sweet honey at their peak of ripeness.

Hopefully the pics of plant and leaf and figs inside and out will provide members with enough info to help identify the variety.

Thanks,
IMG_0314-1.jpg  Tony image1-1.jpg 
Tony
This fig is nowhere near ripe. 
With Dalmatie since it is such a big fig you need to learn patience and let it ripen. 
You will find the centre with fill in with the additional swelling.  You will need an organza bag to protect it since it will drip honey for a week before it is ripe.  The part around the ostiole will turn brown like Vasile's photo when they are ripe.

Dalmatie also has a lot of leaf variability when it is a younger plant. 
Once it settles in 3-4 yrs old you will probably find the fingers get narrower more typical of dalmatie.

Since we are on this general topic I hope Tony does not mind if I ask Vasile and others about my tree I got from Gene Hosey as Vasilika Sika.  The original source is supposed to be Belleclare.  I thought that this is supposed to be Dalmatie but the leaves look different from the plant Tony shows in post #1 and the one shown in post #2.  The fig shape is similar but I don't recall a void on mine.  My tree is in its 4th or 5th season so it is definitely a mature tree at this point.

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As long as fruits are very similar to what mine look like,the leaves are misleading,depending on age of tree ,root expansion,climate etc.
Your fig ,Steve, has the long finger type leaves for now when young,but it will change,when old,,and if fruits are the same,as mine, your tree is Dalmatie,no more no less.
Beeleclare like any other nursery can do,when dealing with a large collection, labelled Dalmatie as Vasilika Sika,possible because the tree was given to them by some Greek person,and it was given with this name,not necessary accurate.

Vasile, this is one of the oldest trees I have and is it's 4th or 5th year.  It has been growing in the ground for three years.  I really don't think the leaves will significantly change at this point. But, yes, the fruits are pretty much like what you show. You are probably correct about how it became to be named "Vasilika Sika".

Mine had ,finger like yours initially when 3 or 4 years old but now when it is about 9 years old it has leaves exactly like tsparozi  leaf shown  in first post,
above.

Excellent and informative feedback! Thank you all!

Now that I think about it, the first couple leaves this Spring after bud break did not have such long fingers and were more like the ones you show in post #2.  They quickly gave way to the really long-fingered ones but maybe the leaves on mine will undergo a transition in the next year or two.  There are always surprises with figs.  

Hi rewton,
Did you get some brebas from that tree ?
Do you have pics ?
Dalmatie is cold hardy. It should be able to make brebas in your zone.

jdsfrance, we had two severe winters after I planted it in the ground and it lost most of its above-ground growth each time.  Then last winter wasn't so bad. I did have brebas on several of my in-ground trees in late March and things were looking good.  I can't recall if the Vasilika Sika (Belleclare) had any but I think it may have.  Then we had a freeze in early April that killed all the young brebas, unfortunately.  Then in late April I transplanted several in-ground trees (including this one) from my old place to my new place. So that set it back some as well.  However, now it is in a location that pretty much gets sun all day long and it is really looking good.  It has several main crop fruits that should ripen.  I plan to pick the first one tomorrow and can show pics of it.

@Werter1: That photo on your link it is exactly the Dalmatie I have .

@tsparozi : Your fig either was pushed with fertilizer or is what I call "Stella" . Stella is in the Dalmatie family, but the figs are bigger and because of that they get that void. My dalmatie maincrop figs are as in the photo on Werter1's link and those are smaller fruits - so they don't get that void.
My neighbor has the "same" strain that you have and the problem is that those figs ripen later than mine, and as with any big fig, they have a tendency to ripen less evenly in our climate - they require longer better warmer weather to ripen as my Dalmatie does in my conditions.
Well, I guess, I'll be in Northern Italy and Croatia for my next summer holidays ... I'd like to see the grounds which my Dalmatie came from .

One can easily see the differences between Stella and Dalmatie, BUT it is easier in the brebas.
The Brebas on the Dalmatie have a violet line near the skin and Stella is more strawberry colored where Dalmatie is more mixed honey-strawberry colored.

@Rewton : You may want to try the 80 liters trashcan winter protection. It is easy and sturdy (lasts the whole winter).

@jdsfrance : The Brebas never make it to maturity although the fig does push them out. Usually the plant starts the Brebas early enough that protection from the cold and periodic frosts is the order of the day. As a result, the Brebas invariably fall off when they get to the size of about 1.5 cm. The main crop starts to set as soon as the weather stabilizes and consistent warmth prevails.  Your comment regarding the push with fertilizers. That is possible; the plant is not under my control so I am not certain as to what fertilization regime my Sister maintains it under.

In any case, once the plant hits its stride as we go through September, the majority of its crop will ripen fully and as the season draws to a close, my Sister usually has enough very ripe figs that the birds haven't touched that she can made fig jam. THAT is always delicious.

Thanks for your feedback / comments and regards,
Tony

Here's my first ripe Vasilika Sika (Belleclare).  It tasted as good as it looks.

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Steve... looks real nice.... your pictured fig looks moist / juicy... When I get back from my vacation in Wells, Maine, I will have to run over to my Sisters house and see if any really ripe figs are available for a photo shoot. I'd like to compare a fully ripe fig versus the not quite ripe fig pic I posted to see if a material difference shows up in the progression to full ripeness.

T

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