Several pieces of good news:

We went back today and grabbed some more branches, so I should have enough to send to those who've requested cuttings. There are still a lot there if any of the local folks want to check it out for yourselves.  Here is the location (google maps snaps to the bike path, but it's down on the bank): http://goo.gl/maps/9op4y

 


No chance of getting to any roots without a jackhammer--they're completely under the concrete.  But, the tree is already shooting up new growth, so it looks like it will come back.  Who knows how many times it's already been pruned like this...  

I'm hoping the brush clearing project is on hiatus, because one of the other trees we found nearby was left untouched, and has a few figs now.  This one has very bright red flesh, lots of figs, and was also quite good last fall.  The skins stayed green. (don't mind the trash and debris caught in it--this is an urban fig!): 

http://goo.gl/maps/bqWtf

  

The tree I saw is on sandy surface, amazing how it resembles the soil in seasides of mediterranean where nothing but Figs and Palms grow.

Bob i don't see why you can't have your wish fulfilled. We'll work on it :)

milehighgirl, when I'm done with my list of Name & Synonyms we probably altogether figure out the names of all Unknowns.

Dave C, you should pay us a visit  and join us to go fig hunting soon.

Igor I'll adopt your unwanted ones, not to worry, hehe

This is just getting better and better ;)

Aaron,

You may add on a fourth Capri to your 'collection'....
The last picture shown by MacArthursPark, the one with that thick skirt of trash, looks to me to be that fourth Caprifig and that trash may be sufficiently fertile and aerated to invite rooting from some of those upright  branches. The sizable figs appearing on the wood look wild

Looking now on these new pictures it seems to me that a good deal of figs were already established long ago there,  along that creek, on both banks, well before the concrete was brought in.

This is typical in our fields and birds, rats, lizards, etc do like these protected areas to rest, eat,.. and being in a fig wasp ridden country will certainly drop thousands of fig fertile seeds all over

That 'concrete skin' has to be necessarily not too thick and no match to robust fig roots growing underneath...
The cement top skin kept the soil sufficiently moist/hot and the roots kept developping fast and gaining momentum, until the day they push out, opening cracks through which the so called root 'suckers' popped up and here you have a fig raising from the concrete.
In ideal conditions fig roots are silent bulldozers !! Planting in ground, pay attention and get them away from the foundations of your house.

Who would imagine.. LA encircled by caprifigs, figs and  wasps !?

A very interesting thread !

Francisco

Yes, the fig tree roots could be quite damaging if planted in wrong locations. I wouldn't plant them inground in LA for sure, no way to get rid of them. It looks like a weed on steroids.

.Aaron, how many figs can you adopt?

How many you got Igor? LOL

If you want seedlings too, a lot. Be careful with your wish , it may be granted. :)

No seedlings... I can adopt growing cuttings that I don't have yet.

Francisco LOOK, :)
Last night I decided to stop by to get some figs to cut for picture archive from the place where I collected my second Capri , from Glendale Church parking lot...Here is what I discovered... Seems like there are 3-4 different varieties in one little pocket of mess, LOL

    

Aaron, I am so envious! What beautiful figs. How do they taste?

no, no taste yet milehighgirl, they are Capri(male figs, that have Wasps) according to a specialist (lampo) Francisco. They will be enhancing the taste of my other figs in future ;)

Aaron,

That seems to be a Caprifig Eldorado !!
To complement your Capri data base , take pictures from the insides, cutting around the flesh and forcing to open the two halves (do not cut through the full syconium)

The more or less compactness inside the fig, the NR of gall flowers (weight) lets you estimate its potential to supply wasps to the emerging Profichi that may already be shooting out around those of your pictures.. As a rule of thumb, there should be  between 6 to 12/16 Profichis for each Mamme

Good job Aaron !

Francisco

Aquaduct-figs, parking-lot-figs, love it!

LOL, that's LA for you, sunny California!!!

Aaron,

Those are great pics. The figs look awesome!

here's the trees all together, then insides of the green and purple capri figs.

      

Aaron,

Congratulations !! These are nice and promising Caprifigs
Look exactly like the ones here!

Fantastic pictures for your records
Even the purples  - my preffered Caprifigs !

In most cases, when you have mild weather and so far plenty of Mamme, this may mean that the Profichi crop (the next one - also called the First ) shall be prolific and you shall have lots of nice pollen laden wasps.

The GOOD POLLEN is created inside the Profichi only!!
TWO things now to watch:

-Try and avoid destruction of these figs by the Municipal 'warriors'

-Watch the development of the Profichi fig lets/buttons around the Mamme and estimate how many they are per each Mamme on that particular branch.. for your records

With luck you shall be able to take pictures and videos of the Mamme wasps exiting the figs you have
shown us now and moving into the neighboring young Profichi by mid March

You need to have 3 or 4 Smyrna varieties in your orchard for testing purposes..Ideally they should be 2/3 year old trees with enough figs for a test
Also to expose Common and SanPedro varieties to good Profichis and see the results

Good job Aaron!!
and Good luck

Francisco

Francisco, can I put them on hold for now , since all my cutting are being rooted this year and will not fruit for few years. Meanwhile I am planting Capris too to be part of my collection, will they hold wasp from the area when they are mature enough to fruit or I have to take back to original location to be infected?, Since I am close to the areas of Capri I am assuming they are in the air all the time when the season. What you think?

Aaron,

Yes you may do that. The cuttings, as you say, will take 3 to 4 years to become effective young trees producing a limited number of figs .

Your options :

- These young trees need to be colonized by wasps (you said infected) and this can be done letting the new trees on the orchard and wait for insects lost in the thin air around, to come and enter the available figs.
As it looks that there will always be wasps around, with a bit of luck this could work quite well, but only after those 3 or 4 years
On some years for one reason or another (weather mainly) Profichis are scarce and there are very few wasps.

- or...have your cuttings  root under an established Caprifig to warrant
proximity to the insect source and automatic caprification.. later on, you will move the small tree to your orchard

-or you may buy now 2 or 3 potted good root stock trees and do some grafts of the best Caprifigs you find along that creek

 But with so many great Caprifigs around, think it's worth try the air layers (done by the trench style or the normal way choosing an upright branch). Using selected rooting hormones and a premium rooting soil you could well have these air layers with sizable root balls and ready to be cut by the end of April...mid May. A good branch selection on this option could mean that by June/2014, one or two new Caprifigs be on your orchard supplying wasps from their few Profichis.

Regardless of your decision, no worries now. You know where the good Caprifigs are and at the proper time you will pick up 2 or 3 hundreds of them to take to your orchard to pollinate all your figs in two or three layers of pollination spaced 5 or 6 days from each other.

Along those river banks there will be dozens of unknown figs waiting.. Lots of Caprifigs but, some edible ones.

Francisco

Good fig hunting. Looks a bit dangerous.