When my parents first moved in to their current house in 1990 there was a little 2 foot twig in a dark, shady corner of the yard. One day my Grandfather came over to visit and identified the plant as a fig tree. We moved the fig tree out of the shade to a place where it got more sun and it’s flourished. My dad cuts it back every year to my displeasure.  When I bought my house a couple years back my father gave me a rooted cutting from this tree and we planted it at my new place. It’s been in the ground for 2.5 years now.

Yesterday I got to eat the first figs. Last years small crop got taken by the birds.

I’m leaning towards this being a Celeste. I’m in zone 8b and from what I’ve read Celeste is an early fig around these parts. Thoughts?

Looks very much like many of the Celeste in my area. I would agree with your assessment.

Yes It is Celeste!

That one would pass as one of the strains of Celeste in my area. Yes, they are indeed an early season fig. In my zone 9 climate they are usually producing lots of figs during the first week of July. Glad to hear that you got to taste a few.

FYI....most  Celeste strains will only produce one crop. In my area most Celeste are finished producing by the end of August. That is why we fignuts plant other mid to late season ripening figs too.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

Nice! Thanks for the confirmation. These were some tasty treats. I wasn't even expecting them yet, I walked by the tree yesterday doing yard work and noticed the darkening fruits and got excited. 

Truth be told, the fruit you show sliced open and the ones on the tree aren't as ripe as I would prefer them.

With many forms of Celeste, the fruit will actually dry on the tree.  I pick them when the skin has several cracks and the neck is stretching long, the fruit is hanging limp.  Kind of like these and other similar pictures at the thumbnail page you linked above.

Hey Miguel,

Nice tree and thanks for posting the photos. If you are not battling birds or concerned with other land based critters, then I echo Jason's comments. If you can give those figs a few more days to ripen and 'get ugly' on the tree, then I believe you will be very pleased with the results. I know I am. Dan calls it 'dead ripe'. It looks dead but boy is it ripe! Here are two pictures...saves me 2K words.

I had a couple of darker ones which seemed to already be pecked at by the birds. They didn't seem to be as dark as the ones in your picture, but I ate them both anyways pecks and all.  Between the birds and the squirrels I'm lucky to get anything. Hopefully as the tree grows there will be plenty to go around.  

JD: man that fig looks tasty.. I might go out looking for a net at lunch tomorrow. Some of the lower branches still have green figs. Might be worth it for that.

If you have staggered ripening with only a few ripening on any given Sunday, then you should consider what maverick did. I have and it is working well. Time and a hungry bird, squirrel, or coon will be the ultimate test.

That is genius! I bet it would work on tomatoes too. For some reason the neighborhood squirrels seem to love the darker tomatoes (can't blame them). I lost 2 Cherokee Purples, most of my Black Cherries, and this morning I came out to a half eaten Carbon. They wont touch the bright red ones - Sweet 100, Matt s Wild Cherry,  Amelia, Better Boy, Bella Rosa - all go by unscathed. 

Sounds like you're in good company, a couple of us in this thread grow tomatoes (heirlooms especially).

Man, I love this forum.