Much has been said about the named varieties , varieties du jour , the most expensive and/or elusive varieties. While most of us have a "wish list" to include, drool over , covet  those lofty varietes, there are figs we all seem to have , the UNK's .

These figs are the tried and true, "brought over" by ancestors in some cases, for reasons of best taste , productivity, sentimental etc. Trees that were precious , talked to , even sung to , truly loved .

These UNK's that I have with the stories , history attached have become most precious to me as well. It's amost an obligation to be "keeper" of the fig , to carry on a tradition .

My UNK's are an important part of my collection made possible through some very generous members here who are on the look out for heirloom fig trees in some of the old neighborhoods. Talking with the owners and gathering as much info on them as possible to pass along.
I have passed along a bunch of these to neighbors and family members that were as thrilled as I was to have them !

I just wanted to say to all of the "newbies" on this forum ( I'm still a relative newbie)  not to discount the UNK's . They do not disappoint !! Rich in lore and taste !!

Pattee, well said. I have many of the ballihood varieties but I am as interested in seeing and tasting the UNK's from all over the country.
I would venture to say that some of them will taste as good or maybe better than the $ figs not to mention the lore that goes with them.

I could not agree more. People literally bring their "family tree" to America when they come here. These varieties, many with names lost to time, were important and valued enough to be brought over from wherever they originated. Unknowns that are "discovered" by us offer the potential for a really nice surprise when they bear fruit. Until proven to not be of excellent quality, I assume an unknown is something well worth growing.

Amen!




























AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!


goss

Some of my better performing trees are of the "Unknown"  type.    Angelo Zone 7A  NY

Maltese Falcon and Maltese Beauty were unknown to us when George brought them over.  You're absolutely right, Pattee.

Well said Pattee, I totally agree.  Most UNK's are proven performers.  Thanks for that great comment.

i'm looking forward to few.. can't wait.

"Heirloom" anything is worth saving, especially in the plant world.  The current Celeste trees seem to have a problem with throwing the figs in the southern regions.  I have a tree that I am preparing for one of our members that came from cuttings from an "Heirloom" tree.  This tree is more than 75 yrs old and does not throw the figs.  Is it a different strain of Celeste?, is it a Celeste? don't know, the owners says so, who knows, looks like a Celeste, who really cares, it is not a candidate for tree of the year, just a good tree that bears a lot of great figs.  Will the offspring perform as well in South Louisiana?, time will tell.

My nickels worth, LOL

i have one UNK so far and am looking forward to adding to the collection.

GT-1 throu7gh GT-11, GT-A through GT-J and Jose o through 7 are among these Unknowns. They were all collected on various trips, by various people, from the Greek Neighborhoods of Baltimore.

This is GT-9:, for example.

Pattee, I agree 100%. I have some big named figs, but my unknowns that have a story behind them are my most cherished figs. They also taste great!

Yes Pattee, very well said! Most that have well known names/patented names are wonderful, but many are not named or don't have a name known everywhere,..... just local/regional names, they are just called something ( Place of origin/color/taste, family name) and the names stick and they are the ones with histories and connections which are well worth just as much as a ancient name ex: Dottato. When I get figs especially from Places in the old country, whatever the owner or the community calls it, thats what it is because that is where I collected that fig,, if it turns out to be the same as a variety that is known and a modern name has been applied, I will keep the local name that has been given to the fig, where I collected it that name stays and the more modern/patented name applied as synonym. Many times the patented names are much younger that what it has been called longer in local places. When I collect the figs from My property overseas, whatever my family or whatever we called them locally in our area is their name and they stay that way. Many of us were calling different figs by different names well before Figs 4 fun or the garden web came along with such a great amount of info!    

Absolutely agree Pattee.  The majority of what I have right now (and what got me started last Nov 2012 thanks to generous members) are unknowns.  Part of the fun (and I'm sure disappointment) will be learning which trees do well here in Houston and which can't take the heat, humidity and rain.  But out of the failures will be info I can share with members on which trees do better in the southeast.

I'm glad you all feel the same . UNK's certainly have an important place in any fig collection. The info collected and shared here is priceless !

My first fig (well, cuttings that I'm waiting to root) is one of Jimmy's Bronx white figs that I got off eBay. It's exciting that it's a bit of an unknown, but tried and proven in a similar zone. I'm always a sucker for the old things that are worth preserving over the newest flavor of the week.

Unknowns are sometimes hidden treasures indeed. All if us are making discoveries of potentially a great variety, and sharing pictures and info surely help bring these almost extinct varieties to light.

Funnily enough I found this forum while trying to find out what my wife's family tree was. Over the last year or so I have gained a lot of knowledge and a few new varieties through the forum, but I have stopped caring what kind of tree we have. Just knowing it is reliable and great tasting is enough!

Learning about air-layering through the forum was a great benefit, though. Last summer I was able to give fully-rooted trees to two of my wife's cousins who had fond memories of their grandfather tending to the original. Man, that was a fantastic experience!

What's the difference between "unknown"  and "named cultivar"?  We recognize the name. That doesn't make it better or worse than and "unknown." The unknown may be a named cultivar for which we simply don't know the name. Heritage is as important as provenance.

Pattee,
I am in complete agreement. Also many of the unknowns that I have come across have been very healthy and productive, providing for easy propagation and early production.

There are also many "unknowns" that have become "named" cultivars... Hardy Chicago (Bensonhurst Purple) and Sal's (Gene / El) to name a few. The only thing that the unknowns need is for more people to grow them, and realize their potential.

To obtain the cuttings for my figs, I had to go back to the house where I grew up and knock on the door and ask permission to go into the back yard and snip a few branches. That tree was planted by my deceased mother. She got it from a sucker that came from my uncle's tree in Costa Mesa, CA. He got his as a sucker from my grandmother's tree in Fresno, CA. My grandmother planted that tree from a cutting that she brought over from Agrigento, Sicily in 1947. Those cuttings came from a tree on the family farm that had been there for god knows how long. My mother (born in 1929) grew up eating figs from that tree in Sicily and I grew up eating from it's descendant. I hope to pass it on to my son some day. By the way, the figs are delicious and are the only ones that taste like "real" figs to me.

Very nice full of history story cyberfarmer,, Very well documented and passed down the family, the tree is definitely a part of your family history, Like an old picture or the family china, The figs become such as much a part of our own family stories.!

taking fig branches is also written in the bible when noah took fig branches. still i guess they do this in families of fig growers.
in my family we take our clothes and shoes and some furniture and we move to another place :) no fig branches in the luggage.

Paul , what a great part of your family history. I'm glad you were allowed to take cuttings to keep the growing alive in your family.

Paul, a great story!
Do you know what variety is that tree?
You mentioned it  tastes like a "real" fig to you.