Tony,

What time frame did Celeste start spreading?  Was it just the first to be commercially cultivated for sale in greenhouses or did they spread it through seed?  I wonder because, like many others ,Celeste was very likely the fig that I grew up eating.  It seems to be common around the country, but there seems to be differences in the plants from tree to tree.  These differences could be explained if the plants were started by seed rather than cutting propagation. 

Meghan,

I don't know the history of the spread of Celeste, or even the real extent and intensity of its existing spread. Anyone?

I don't know either where Celeste is thought to have more-or-less originated. So many cultivars can be readily traced to various regions of the world. Can Celeste? Could be helpful to know.

I know ya'll thought this old horse had died!

I was speaking of the thread not me.

Anyway I do not have much experience but my mind keeps going back to that day at LSU Burden Field and as I walked around in near heat stroke conditions I saw it. This ones for Danny. It was so ugly I was at first scared to put it in my mouth but thankfully I did. I know what figgy means and it's spelled

Hollier.

That is the one at least in my mind for now.

If I MUST have just one variety....shooting form the hip...."BRYANT DARK" discovered by forum member "ascpete"/Pete S. growing in a Bronx/NYC backyard.

Why, you ask?

1. Grows and ripens in 7-b... by mid August... two crops...medium-large figs.
2. No splitting/souring
3. No protection in winter.
4. Roots/layers easily...robust grower.
5. Exquisite taste... reminiscent of ripe apricots/peaches, not overly sweet...  slap yo' momma flavor!
6. No FMV/D....clean, thick, leaves.

But...my opinions can change in a NY second.  I'm fickle.


Frank

  I would keep my Strawberry fig from Cyprus.I have 70 varieties and it is the strongest producer and grower, not to mention the strawberry jam flavor! That  choice could change with time.

I think my favorite will be Strawberry Verte!  It's a monster fig, in ground, and I expect my grandchildren to build a treehouse in it, and toss the fruits down!  As it stands, VDB is my fav!  But it's got a dwarfing growth habit, and I'm a fan of HUGE in ground trees that produce! 

Looking forward to tasting the few that survived the move.  Battaglia Green, Hardy Chicago (why I need that is a mystery!... It never snows here), RDB, Adriatic, LSU Gold, and others.

I just KNEW that Verte would be my fav!

Suzi

VdB, thus far. It was the first tree I purchased. My other trees are just too young for an accurate appraisal.

VdB has excellent taste, adequate production on a 3 y.o. tree, attractive, nice jammy flavor. In addition, reviews from others on VdB are also good which means it performs well in a variety of conditions.

I'm looking forward to tasting others from more mature trees (some are already quite promising), but if VdB is as good as it gets, I'd be happy.

Hello!

This thread is perfect for a complete newb like me. I was so overwhelmed by all the varieties, having reasons behind the favorites and the descriptions is extremely helpful. I've decided I need to limit myself to 5 or else I think my husband will have an aneurism! Now I have an idea of which 4 varieties I'd like to give a try at growing! Thanks everyone! 

Laina, what varieties did you decide on?  And Welcome to the forum!

Hi cobb4861! I'm leaning towards Keddie, Chicago hardy and Pete's Honey. The Keddie and CH sound like they will do well in my zone (in pots but I may try overwintering in ground if I get my hands on enough cuttings to experiment with!) and the Honey just sounds so good! I'm not sure about the 4th choice yet. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Laina