If you could only keep one variety from your yard, what would it be? I hope to hear from all, especially the ones with the larger collections.
It would be nice to hear why you selected it.

Just one? I don't think I understand the question. In fact, I refuse to...

You gotta have a favorite...

Good question Art . I'm looking forward to the answers.

Art, do want us to wait until the end of the season or update later? I still have a lot to try this year.

At the moment I would say a perfectly ripe Malta Black would be #1 and a Perfectly ripe Zingarella would be #2. In addition to taste
the MB is a very good looking tree. It is compact with attractive leaf pattern and cold hardy by some reports up north. Zingarella is
another attractive and compact tree. Not sure about the cold hardiness yet. Both show very little FMV and no rust symptoms. Having said that, I
still have RDB, Kathleens Black, Sicilian Black, VDB, Genovese Nero, Black Madeira, JH Adriatic, Bethlehem Black, Hollier, Ventura, Nero600m,
Thibodeaux, Longue d'Aout, Black Greek and a few others that should ripen by Oct 1st.

I only have one child.  If I had 10 children and was told I could only have 1, I'd get out my guns. ;)

Mike, I probably should have waited until the end of the season to post this. I'm like you I have a bunch of figs I will try this month.
I figured this would help out a bunch of the newer members. Or the ones that didn't have the room for multiple varieties.
Notice that I didn't put my favorite, because I'm not sure yet. LOL!

Its funny but I had thought about the same post.

it used to be VdB. now.. i'm thinking Paradiso Gene.. then Kathleen's Black i had today was just super yummy.. i know White Greek was getting really good too. then there are others that i need to taste.

it used to be so clearly VdB. the wow factor was there, it reliably produce good number of figs... this yr, it has failed to give that super taste. even with rains, Paradiso Gene, and Kathleen's Black are giving better taste.. then i heard Nero 600M does really well in the rain..

i'm rather lost at this moment.

Pete, Sounds like it could change from year to year. Depending on the weather.

It would be a toss up between Colisanti Dark and RdB for me, I have many more I haven't tasted yet but for what I have tasted so far, both give tasty sweet figs, highly productive, survive rain so far well and very vigorous.  My opinion may change in the future, but we will see I have both planted in ground so the next couple years will be interesting to see what will do better or if my mind will stay the same.

CELESTE...

at this point in Texas, the best combination of taste, productivity, rain tolerance, heat tolerance. I might choose another if I were living elsewhere.

CELESTE
For all the reasons James stated

I've only tried a few but I'd rate those in this order best first: Strawberry Verte, Paradiso, Vista, Black Jack, Brown Turkey, and last Celeste. Mine are in a greenhouse in west Texas. I'd rate Strawberry Verte as a top 20 fruit after some nectarine, apricot and pluot. But ahead of 15 varieties of sweet cherry, all 20 blueberries, a dozen grapes, six citrus, and various other fruits like persimmon and blackberry.

I don't have an issue finding favorites and losers.

And I seem to disagree with my outdoor growing buddies from Texas. Don't know why but I can't grow a decent Celeste from Womack's nursery or Blue Celeste from Jon. Too small and watery for my taste. But then I'm known as a brix junkie. I do rate SV ahead of 25-32 brix sweet cherries based on better flavor in the fig.

I have to pick my wife's family unknown Calabrian white. I have had others that tasted better, but if you think I would risk being cut off from my mother-in-law's home made bracciole and artichokes even for a fig tree you must be nuts!

You need to define the parameters: taste, productivity, size,  season length, response to weather variables, etc. Those will all have different answers. Hey, 5 or 10 miles east or west of me would make for different answers.

It's not really possible to go with just one fig variety, as I well know.

I would take them all in "ONE" pile.