Do Brown Turkey figs turn yellow before ripening into their brown/purple color?  I ask because i have what could be a BT (or offspring) and the fruit is putting on a shade of yellow.

Here are some pics before the yellowing -- I'll post more recent shots when I get home.

http://picasaweb.google.com/JeroldRBurrow/UnknownFigJune2010?feat=directlink

Also, if it matters, I'm in Southern California about 5 miles from the beach and 5 miles from the border...

my BT never turns yellow before purple. and the purple starts as a blush and eventually takes over completely on mine.

the leaves look like they could be correct, though they're pointier than mine.

Mine tend to get yellowish on the stem end and purple everywhere else. If the fruit gets a lot of direct sun then it's all purple. I don't recall the entire fruit ever getting yellow before ripening, but I'll take a look tomorrow to be certain.

Well, when I got home yesterday some of the yellow figs were on the ground (didn't get a chance to take pics). I cut one open and it was dry, white and hollow -- the flower parts inside didn't look fully formed to me, but then again I don't have much experience with figs.  This tree is two years old and this is the first year of it's life in the ground.  Could it be that it's just not ready to bear fruit?  I know pictures would help a lot -- I'll take some as soon as I can.  Thanks!

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Jerold Burrow
SoCal Zone 10a

Here's an example of the variation in fruit color from the top of the tree in full sun, and from the bottom in heavy shade.

Thanks for the picture, Ken -- that explains why the tops of my figs are purple while the bottoms are green.  Here are some pictures as of this morning to help with the diagnosis.  Does this look like the tree dropped the figs because it couldn't support them, or do I have a caprifig?

http://picasaweb.google.com/JeroldRBurrow/UnknownFigJuly2010?feat=directlink

Thanks!

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Jerold

You'll need to tap into far wiser heads than mine, but the shape of your figs sure doesn't look anything like my BTs. I don't know anything about caprifigs, but mine don't ever look like that on the inside, either--even when I get a bunch late in the year that don't have time to ripen, and just dry out on the tree. I'm guessing it's not a BT, but it's just a guess.