I have O'rourke that originated from LSU and the so called Improved Celeste "Not" that was told to me is from LSU. Both are pretty figs and Fortunately both are excellent for my zone. The Improved Celeste "not" happens to be my earliest main crop fig, earlier than Florea in my PNW zone. In my opinion, it is better tasting than O'rourke. It is a slow grower and I have had it for at least 7 yrs.

Mahdi,

I keep reading for the same answer. I have I/C Mountain figs and 3 O'Rourke plants started from James.

The 3 O'Rourkes' produced ripe fruits. The I/C had no fruits and the plant is different. I also have Golden Celeste (Encanto?), and it is definitely different from the others.

 I am more interested in the comparison, as the Hollier was better, the O'Rourkes will go.

 The Golden Celeste has not fruited yet. It grows like the I/C but definitely has different leaves. The one stand-out for the GC so far is the strong coconut smell from the leaves. Very distinct, great smell even with many other plants close by.

 Mike

Wow. Dkirtexas why stir this up? Keep your opinion to yourself if it isn't positive.

You want to challenge if Improved Celeste exists?

My .02 -- now, take into consideration the only Celeste I have growing in my yard is 2 copies of Improved Celeste from JFE.  I had an O'Rourke but I take the fruit off the first two years to develop nice roots so I don't have a fruit-to-fruit comparison  between those two.  I know there has been some back & forth about those two - Brandy @ JFE was emphatic that the two were distinct cultivars.  I've found the IC to be a tasty, tough, and productive workhorse in my garden and not very prone to fruit drop.

But it is not the Celeste of my youth.  The celeste (or sugar) fig of my grandfathers -- distinct for it's small size and very rich flavor.  To me a very different piece of fruit. Don't know if it had fruit drop problems but the tree was huge and abundantly bore fruit like Ive been trying to find ever since. 

Based on what Ive read (including sometimes confusing info from LSU itself), conversations with folk much wiser in the ways of (Southern/La.) figs than me, and my own nurserywoman Im in the camp of Celeste (Old School), Improved Celeste, and O'Rourke being distinct cultivars , naming issues aside...

But, again, that's my .02

There are cultivars known to growers as improved Celestes. Specifically there is one cultivar know by the community under the name of "Improved Celeste". That's what we're been calling it for a long time and we know what it is so no sense in changing the name. That would just be another point of confusion. It has sweet fruit, bears a heavy main crop, flavor is very similar to a regular Celeste but larger. It's main leaf patterns are spade shaped and three lobed.

There is another variety of improved Celestes known as O'Rourke. It has been confused with the the other in the past, but it is distinct. I see no good reason to abandon the names we have used for identification. The fruit is more of an amber color with a long neck. It's main leaf patterns are 3 lobed and 5 lobed.

As fig folk we need the names to help us keep cultivars straight, that is all. Some names are official, some names are just unofficial names we gave them. That is just the way it is.

I' m forever calling my Improved Celeste and O'Rourke trees by the names I got the trees as.

And just for the record, a regular old Celeste can be just as good or even better than the "Improved Celeste" in my climate so it may not be that much of an improvement. However, in my yard it's an Improved Celeste by name.

Mario -- well said.

Champagne, Tiger and O'Rourke all were derived from Celeste and a Capri fig. So ALL can be said the be an "improved Celeste".  So any fig derived in the selection process with a Celeste parent is in essence also an "improved Celeste". We know many trees tested did not get officially released by LSU but were trialed by individuals and growers. The purpose of the LSU program was to produce a fig optimised for the Louisiana climate. Taste was never the prime consideration. LSU figs are great figs but I doubt many would have one as a top tasting fig. If one of the LSU trial trees produced a fantastically flavorful fig but it split easily in the heat and humidity they would not have released it. That did not stop the owner of these trees from calling them what they wanted and selling them. For example I understand the LSU Thibodeaux fig is a great tasting fig that was an LSU tree found in Thibodeaux, LA. Is it a "real" LSU fig?  Who knows for sure. I want one because working in Thibodeaux for 3 months I gained 20 pounds.......they do know good food on the bayou's! Many "LSU" figs are out there but only seven official releases. LSU also grew and trialed common figs, so there is a possibility some "LSU" figs are simply common figs that have been around for many years before the LSU fig program. I don't care as much about names as much as flavor, I don't dry them or ship them so all that matters to me is fresh off the tree eating. I have many "unknowns" from Louisiana because I grew up there and figs were a staple in growing up in southern Louisiana. 

Picture of orchard, mostly improved Celeste strains.. I can only think of 6 LSU figs that were released , purple , gold, champagne, giant Celeste, Orourke, Scott's Black. ??
Second, third picture going by name improved Celeste, not Orourke.

For fig growers nationwide, in the US, it's important to realize that people north, south, east, west, and central value Improved Celeste, per their reporting. Meanwhile, Celeste is more valued in the south and west than elsewhere, per reporting.

Improved Celeste is generally by far an easier fig to ripen than is Celeste in the north, east, and central parts of the country. Outside of the South, at least, Improved Celeste drops its figs far, far less than Celeste. Improved Celeste ripens earlier than Celeste (and most any other fig). And in general, Improved Celeste is substantially larger than Celeste. It's not too much to note that these differences are dramatic - among other clear differences of leaf shape, fruit shape, ostiole size, etc.

Mistakes happen, and there are plenty of those. Plenty of mistaken notions die hard, and plant nurseries are notorious for mixing-up and mistaking their fig photos in listings. Universities and officials and every other institution make mistakes all the time, of course. You correct them when you can. These spotty mistakes notwithstanding, there is zero evidence that Improved Celeste and Celeste are the same variety. And there is unending evidence that these two are distinctly different varieties, in many ways, in virtually every way, as widely reported and demonstrated. There is no problem showing this, whether in home growing, visiting orchards, or merely clicking around the web and looking into it.

As I understand LSU released these figs officially, Tiger, LSU Purple, LSU Gold, Champagne, O'Rourke, Scott's Black.

"After being dormant for a number of years, the AgCenter renewed the process of selecting potential varieties in the 1990s under the leadership of AgCenter horticulturist Charlie Johnson. Since then, the AgCenter has released new varieties named Champagne, LSU Gold, LSU Purple, O’Rourke, Tiger and Scott’s Black."
                                      Ag center release


And lots of misinformation on the internet.....Ray's Figs below claim LSU Gold is not an official release, not true.

And  claims Hollier is not an official release, but JFE says it is a LSU release as does other Nurseries like Dario.  Is it?

• Hollier--In the trade, but not an official release from the LSU program. (May be the same as Guilbeau.)
• LSU Everbearing--In the trade, but not an official release from LSU.
• LSU Gold--In the trade, but not an official release from LSU. Reportedly a very fine fig.
• LSU Purple--An O'Rourke hybrid of Hunt and a California caprifig identified as "C-1," released by LSU in 1991. Rather variable in quality and hardiness, but when it is good it is really good.
• O'Rourke--Generally called LSU Improved Celeste until officially released from LSU and named in honor of Dr. O'Rourke. 
• Tiger (sic)--A medium yellow fig in the trade as LSU Giant Celeste. The name given it by LSU is very unfortunate since there is another fig known as Tiger, but "officially named Panachee. 

"Hollier Fig .......a Dr. Ed O’Rouke of Louisiana State University release."

Mommy, can I go to Le__Blanc21's house and play?

Dalton Durio told me his dad found the Hollier, pronounced ole ee yay,, growing on the Hollier plantation in pine prairie ,la. LSU confirmed it was bred by Dr O'rourke. One of the many figs LSU didn't release for various reasons.from what I understand... taste wasn't the reason. It's nothing close to Guilbeau, from France.. lol. My three Hollier trees from a local nursery, many of you know of, turned out to be alma . Lol ,,the mother tree was dormant at the time I took cuttings. So many alma figs were sold as Hollier across the country..!!and I gave them out at LSU fig day as Hollier, later I informed the recipients.. .. Learned a good lesson. See the fig before you label it in concrete. . The leaf pattern of Alma , duck foot..or single lobe. Sorry for going off topic here.

Many improved Celeste were distributed to growers, some are awesome, some are real splitters from what I understand . And we all know one was chosen to be named Orourke. It also has a distinctive leaf pattern with five lobes, some call oak leaf.
Bamafig, what did mommy say.? That orchard in the picture might be up for sale soon due to death of owner. It's in Opelousas, la. Improved Celeste planted in abundance for early ripening, good size, and fantastic taste. Fig preserves can be made with firm ripe before splitting occurs..