If you lived in zone 6A-6B and only had room to grow one fig tree, which one would you chose?

I know what I would want.  What kind of fig do you like?  I could possibly provide suggestions you might like.

Hi, Jason,

I am new to fig growing, just started this winter, and I've been having incredible luck rooting cuttings. I've got some cuttings from "herman2" around Thanksgiving weekend and they are doing very well. They rooted at about 90% success rate. Most already have nice green branches and leaves, looking healthy and happy. (Thank you, Vasile!)

I really have room for about 15 in ground trees and countless pots, but just wanted to know which cultivars everyone prefers.

What fig is your absolute favorite and why?

Thanks.
Vickie.

I asked myself a question 10 years ago, which variety should I grow for cold hardiness and flavor...
I ended up with over 200 varieties.

Vickie,
to date and that will change im sure Hardy Chicago my favorite
Why? It has that rich fig taste that i enjoy most that i remember as a kid eating figs off grandmothers tree and not overpowered by sweetness has a little crunch as well.
I watched a Ray Givens video and he had a fella who he was explaining figs to and  going tree to tree tasting and he said " Here taste this one its one of my favorite figs"
Anyways in time im sure i will find another type to match it so far Violet De Bordeaux is almost there with it for me and as it matures like my HC it might surpass it.
But in the end thats just my taste buds and lots of folks might not think its a great fig because most of us have different views on what we enjoy in a figs taste such as some measure a good fig by sweetness etc.
Once you have some different type of trees you might find one that you favor over the others and once you get even more trees you MIGHT start to get rid of some that just dont cut it for you. But usually not always at first a person wants to get many plants because of the fig bug that goes around the forum. In short what others like you may not like.
Best Health
Martin

Vickie -- Welcome to F4F.

Since you are in NJ, I would suggest you duplicate what Herman2 has in ground and you will be most happy. Herman2 has trial many variants & junk lots.
He would be your best guide to put you thru on variants that is reliable with  good productivity and variants that will just give you excellent flavour to enjoy
or a combination. Some variants have excellent complex flavors and may not be as productive.

Martin,
Thanks so much for sharing your insight. I already grow cuttings of both - HC and Violett De Bordeaux. I understand they are both dark figs, smaller in size...

I'm embarrassed to admit, but the only fresh figs I've tasted so far were store-bought figs, packed in containers. And I ate them the wrong way, getting tongue burns... And I still loved the taste of the fresh fig... which I crave right now :).

I also love dried fig, but can't find any good ones in the store. They are kinda whitish, crumbling, moldy, I'm afraid... I'm really looking forward to fresh and dried figs of my own.

Thank for your advice...
Vickie.

Paully,

Yes, I'm trying to "listen" to every advice Herman2 has to offer... And his Green Thumb appears to be contagious... LOL

With the "list" of cuttings finally posted, I'm really rolling up my sleeves... LOL
Bought ton of ziplock bags and additional clear storage containers...

Jon, ziplock bag and newspaper method works incredibly well. I wouldn't even consider any other method... (Two thumbs up!)

I personally prefer dark figs which are rich.  I prefer richness and that 'special something' (as Ray Givan would say) more than juiciness and sweetness.

I have tried to be pretty selective in my collection to reflect my interest, but I picked up some interesting others or things people suggested I "must" have, to change my mind about light-colored figs.  I have the following at this time, although many are only cuttings or 1gal-2gal plants, I would recommend any or all of them, check the Figs 4 Fun varieties index for more info on the named varieties to see if they are something you might like:

Named rooted cuttings (18oz cups):
====================
Marseilles VS Black
Negronne (air layer + cuttings)
Violette de Bordeaux (maybe same as Negronne)
Hardy Chicago
Conadria
Latarrula
Sal (Gene's)
143-36

Unknown rooted cuttings (18oz cups):
====================
Voiture #217
Schuyler
Hobart
Bisirri #1
Gino's Black
Südliche Weinstraße Klein

Named potted (2gal pots)
====================
Ronde de Bordeaux
Scott's Black
Hollier
Kadota

Unknown potted (2gal pots)
====================
Carolina Dark
Bethlehem Black
Socorro Black

Hopefully en route in the next 2-3 weeks (2gal pots?):
====================
Flanders
Raspberry Latte
GM #1 Malta

I have a few others floating around here or there, but they either haven't sent roots out yet, or I can't think of them off the top of my head.

Jason,
Thanks for the list. I think I would enjoy darker smaller figs over the white larger varieties. I'd like to experiment, thou...

Here's a photo of my new baby fig trees. They were branches of someone's grown up trees just 2 month ago. They are my new trees now... Amazing...

I count 18  i see 16 then 2 with bag cover.
Uh huh Vicky has the fig bug !

Sounds like maybe you like a similar fig to what I like.

I would say check out any of the following varieties.  Some can be sourced at regular nurseries.  Others can be purchased as cuttings from members, or from one-man operations and more obscure family nurseries such as http://www.durionursery.biz or http://www.treesofjoy.com (I've dealt with the latter, Bass, was a wonderful transaction - never dealt with Durio)

Here is the list of small, dark/black/purple figs that I've been eyeballing or picked up.

Marseilles VS Black
Negronne/Violette de Bordeaux*
Hardy Chicago
Sal (Gene's)
Gino's Black
Ronde de Bordeaux/Round of Bordeaux
Col de Dame Noir
Carolina Dark
Bethlehem Black
Socorro Black
GM-1/Malta Purple
Petite Negri
Vernino/Pasquale
Black Madeira
Native De Argentile/Hative de Argentueil
Native Black
Italian Black
Barnisotte
Scott's Black
Socorro Black

* = is prone to FMV, or at least FMV infection shows really well, really easy to spot in this variety.  I have acquired infected material twice already.

Thank you, guys, for your advice.
I feel at home here... :)

Vickie.

me the same as bass, I started with the wish to have the most coldest hardy ones, and now...
however.
1) dalmatie
2) ronde de beordeaux
3) pastilliere
4)- ~100) in trial:)

Jason, you have a yummie collection. Looks like you will be needing acreage tomorrow. You got some top notch variants. I hope your wife love figs. Right
now I have figs confined to the garage & the patio room. I dare not take them too far into the living room, bathroom & bedroom especially some variants have
an odor of pee.

Believe it or not, my wife loves figs more than I do.  It was her idea originally to buy a fig tree and plant it in the yard a couple years ago.  Little did she know .... I would turn into a figaddict!  She is much less picky than I am about what to eat, though.

Thanks for your compliment.  It would not have been possible without your help as well, so thank you for that also. 

Want to add the *= FmV  if anyone gets these types from UcDavis.
Black Madeira
Native De Argentile

I would estimate that at least 75% of the cuttings and plants I've received so far are infected with FMV.  There have been a few cuttings that are FMV-free (so far), but ...

I understand that some folks want FMV-free cuttings, I'm just confused how in the world it's possible to collect a fleet of trees which are FMV free.  That would be a feat in itself, in which you would be killing a lot of cuttings to find the "master lineage" of fig trees.

Jason,
Something i posted last season about FmV with pictures.
http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=3316723&highlight=mosaic

Through reading as much info i could its been stated that the virus travels slowly thru out a plant and this is possible why some branches on a plant might not show the virus is my guess .
This is why the experts in a lab can cure a plant by extracting the meristem from a newly emerging bud and propagate it in a lab with a high percentage of success because its usually yet to be infected.

Jason,

If you want the good stuff, FMV is a way of life. I don't believe that I have gotten a plant from any nursery that wasn't infected, with the supposed exception of Paradise Nursery.

Otherwise you miss out on Black Madeira, Sucrette, Native de Argentile, Calvert, Barnisotte, 187-25, 184-15, Dauphine, Zidi, Verdal Longue, and more.

It's a sad thing, and I know this would upset some folks I talk and deal with, but I think I'm starting to realize that what you say is very well the truth.  I've seen so many cuttings show signs of FMV on the first few leaves, then hide it again after leaving out more fully.  I know they're FMV infected, they only show it on the newest, freshest leaves.  I don't know how a person is able to find anything that hasn't been touched or infected with FMV

Maybe some day, when I have time and effort to burn, I may try to develop FMV-free strains of evertyhing I love through clever techniques.  But for now ... I just want to taste some figs, see what I like, and work with those.