Dark Portuguese and Hardy Chicago are making excellent tasting figs. The heat and letting ripe well really makes a big difference in taste

 Pete

They all look alike to me. (Wonderful, by the way.) Does one taste better/different from the other?

Gina, I cannot tell the difference between the two either, but they taste great so it doesn't matter :)

Very similar if not the same and why i got rid of my Dark Port.

Dark Portuguese and MBVS are really close too. Possibly synonyms. Another season should seal it.

My Hardy Chicago were much darker this year and smaller than usual. While the Dark portuguese were larger, and juicier and excellent this year. Very impressed with my Grise Olivette as well and pane e vino dark. 

Please excuse PHD.
Bass make thread and show Grise as i also have some getting ripe last season they were decent but hope they get much better and no excuse this season for them as we had wonderful weather for the figs.

Question:

At least three varieties were mentioned in this thread: "Hardy Chicago"...."Marseilles Black"-VS ... and, "Dark Portuguese".  Is there a big difference between these three as far as fig size, taste, fig production, vigor, ... and, hardiness?

I have very limited space for growing, and don't need three of the "same" type figs.  I also have a small "Kathleen's Black".

Out of the three mentioned above, is there one variety that is CONSISTENTLY superior to the others?

"Dark Portuguese"
"Hardy Chicago"
"Kathleen's Black"
"Marseilles Black"-VS


Which one would you grow and keep?....and, why?

Frank

( NOTE:  Tree(s) will be containerized )

Frank, I haven't tasted kathleens black but I believe its different from the others so I would keep it if I were you. For the others on the list you definitely need only one. If its for a container I would go with Dark Portuguese because it is very productive.

Martin, no problem I want to see pictures of Grise to lol

Frank, Kathleens black is surely different. I have plenty of space to grow, so I will grow all the others just to trail and see if one produces any better then the other. Time will tell. Grow Kathleen Black and pick one out of the others and you will not go wrong.

luke

Thanks guys, for the opinions. 

Re: Post #5:..The "Marseilles Black"-VS, and "Dark Portuguese" seem to be two different varieties, and the leaves look nothing like one another.  My two trees show different shaped, and textured leaves.

I will grow all my trees for some years to come, and see what grows, and tastes best in my conditions....but, I really hate parting with any of my trees.  Can't wait for "Kathleen's Black" to start setting figs...ditto, my "Dark Portuguese".  Wish the NYC season was longer, so that the trees would "mature" a little faster....oh well.

Frank

"Golden Atreano"...sweet, big, thick-with-honey figs...closed eye, no splits...no spoilage.  Out of a possible 10...it rates a solid, 9-1/2!  A cosistently great fig since 2007.  I paid about $50.00 for a bearing-size tree, and got dozens of ripe figs each year since I first bought the tree.  That's a little more than $8.00 per/fig season....a bargain!  In my opinion, "Atreano" will one day be a "classic" variety, and will be far more popular than many of the problematic "whites" that are on the market.

Frank,

So your Dark Portuguese looks nothing like this? Odd. Mine does.

Ruben....

Figs look so inviting, and delicious....and no, the leaves on my "Dark Portuguese" look slightly different than the above leaves.  The leaves are so variable, even on the same tree, I find it difficult to tell.  The leaves on my tree also have a consistently longer middle lobe...and look much different from my "Marseilles Black"-VS which seem to have three lobes, rough texture, and are a very dark green.  Fig-wise...I don't know yet.  My trees are too young to produce.  Can't wait.

Thanks for the pics.

Frank

Here's my MB-VS going in-gound last month. But, you are right. They are young. Some varieties do change leaf shapes and fruits as they age.

Ruben....

That's it!  My "Marseilles Black"-VS looks like a twin with your tree.  Dark, stiff, rough, spinach-green leaves that have a curl to them. 

I guess it will take a few years for my tree to settle down.  Thanks for the pic.

Frank