Here's one the search function didn't help me with.  If you had to gift a small fig plant, what would it be?  Assume the person you're gifting it to knows nothing about figs.

Some things to think about:
-Needs to produce in first couple years (don't want them thinking you gave them a bum plant!)
-Needs to taste good in first couple years (don't want them thinking they don't like figs when the plant just wasn't old enough to produce quality fruit)
-Good grower and low maintenance (if FMV, then not too extensive so they think it's dying or something)
-Tolerates weather well (won't split too bad if it rains, won't completely die with a light frost, etc)
-Something somewhat special (It'd be a shame for them to go to home depot and see the celeste or hardy chicago you just gifted them for 10 bucks)
-Doesn't have to be shriveled and "dead ripe" to enjoy...ripening quickly is a bonus
-Doesn't require extensive cold protection (bring it inside for a couple months at most or can survive in ground in most zones)
-Easy to tell when to pick...green figs can be trickier than black/brown, but not always

If you couldn't guess, I'm planning on gifting some of mine out to some family (ranging from zone 5b to 9), so while you're free to name any variety you like, bonus points if you include ones from my signature :-D.

Thanks everybody.

Well, I'm gifting a fig tree to family.  Have no clue if it will live.  Black Mission.

My Calliope's Red Greek or a Violette de Bordeaux ...

Violette de Bordeuax, Celeste, Black Mission, Panache. Somewhat depends on where the gift tree is going.

Heard good things about VdB.  Will hopefully be getting cuttings for one soon.  Whether or not I can get it in "gifting" condition by the next time I see some of my family members is another story.  Good option though, and one I had not considered.

I would gift ronde de bordeaux. I got cutting of it and i had couple ripe figs from it the first year.fig tasted great too. price of rdb has gone down so much this year also. So it should not cost too much for cutting. Last year i paid 70 for 3 cuttings on ebay. Now it should only be about 20. It also grows very fast and cold hardy.

Anything in your rooting list will work, but I wouldn't give a JH A to someone in 5b.  Here in 6 it fruits at the end of the season.  RdB is one of the best.

Good to know on the RDB.  I've got 2 rooting quite well (it's like a medusa in the cups!) and a third that rooted but crapped out on me....but is showing signs of life in the sphagnum.  It's one of the ones I'm banking on being a good gift for someone in the Asheville, NC area up in the mountains a bit.  How would it fare at -18F though?  Haha.  Northern IN where I grew up is not a very forgiving zone 5.

Hardy Chicago. Very productive, fast grower , cold Hardy above average tasting figs and pretty low maintenance ! Or my favorite, Negronne for its compact size and delicious fruit at young age! Have fun choosing Brett!

I just planted a VdB for my mother-in-law yesterday. Her yard is small, so I decided that it's naturally smaller stature would be a good fit - especially since she isn't likely to keep up on pruning it for size control.

Uham!!!
Speaking of Mother-in-law's...
That fig tastes pretty special.

RDB ......fast grower, early ripening, great taste and good producer .

Lsu gold. Thats a sure winner. Produces fig at only 2 foot to 3 foot. And a good many of them. They are juicy and fat. Once you taste the gold your hooked. Easy to get too.

     RDB
    for  any  zone

Galicia Negra!  Now someone send me some cuttings so I can grow it for all my friends. ;-P

Kidding aside, I'm glad to see so many votes for RdB.  Looking forward to growing RdB next season.

Hi brettjm,
Are the recipients "lazy (see * under)" or willing to take the fight like most of us do ?
Under Zone7, they might only get green growth if not taking properly care of the fig tree.

I'm in Zone7, and here, so far as I have strains still in test, I would advise the "Dalmatie" that falls in the "JH adriatic" family if memory serves me well.
The tree is smaller (RDB is supposed to be a big tree ) and produced nicely this last year.
BUT,as for being quick, I removed some root suckers from my "Dalmatie" and :
Dalmatie tree 2 : Showed figs after 2 years ; should produce this year.
Dalmatie tree 3 : Showed figs after 1 year ; should produce this year.

So I would advise you to do this ( my plan started this year ) :
Prepare trees in pots, grow them during one year or two, and gift/sell them after that time.
Good luck !

(*) like someone in my family :( . If not watered properly the fig tree will go slow rhythm and here in ground this means unripe fruit only.

I would NOT gift a rare or expensive variety, as someone uninterested could ignore and kill it.  But almost any of those you are growing would be fine for someone to start out on.

Be sure to give them a printed page of  'how to care for a fig tree'  instructions - I did that last year for a few people and they appreciated it.

I'm in Charlotte and my recommendation would be Florea and Marseilles Black second.  You can't go wrong with either.  For those who don't know, Asheville is in the mountains of NC.  It gets very cold and windy there.  I've talked to several nurseries there and was told Brown Turkey and Celeste have a hard time growing there.  But I know for a fact that Florea would be king there!  No doubt!

RdB or MBvs would be my suggestions, to add more votes to those. MBvs is a little less costly, might be a safer bet if you're unsure of the recipients thumb color.

If it were someone in my climate I would vote Vista, MBVS, and/or RdB.  All good growers here, but MBVS is nearly twice the size of the others.

I'll ask a more specific question since we're on the topic of recommended gift varieties.  If I were to gift a fig to my family in FL, what would be good choices?  They're in zone 9 along the coast, so they would have to contend with sandy soil, ocean breezes, and hot and humid FL summers.  I'm guessing that I could pass along a Hardy Chicago, RdB, MBVS, or Celeste.  Somehow I think that the choices for my climate don't fully overlap the best choices for growing in FL.