Just curious if this is an actual variety recognized on the Madeira Islands?

Or if this is a variety brought from Madeira and named in the USA (or elsewhere).

in other words - can we go to the Madeira Islands and get a Black Madeira fig cutting.



Similarly - It is believed that the Black Mission fig originated from the Balearic Islands of Spain.  Does anyone know if this is a recognized fig variety still growing natively there?

Thanks for the info! ;)

I am sure Francisco will clarify this further but my understanding is that in Portugal this variety is called Violeta (search the forum for this name).
Also, Fico Preto could be another name for the Black Madeira.

Preto is not its own separate variety?

Please search the forum for this but I believe the F. Preto is a healthier version of the B. Madeira with slightly different ripening time. The leaves look very similar (and they are quite distinctive). 

Also Preto grows better. Allegedly. They are both slow growers for me. But it is an excellent question. I have never heard of either BM/Preto or Mission being sourced out of Europe. If the Mission came from the Baleares Mr Pons would have written about it, he is the keeper of heirloom figs par excellence on Majorca. Formentera, the smallest of the Balearic Isles, is also famous for its figs.

@ rafael    ...You never heard of them being sourced out of Europe? that surprises me.

I thought that was common knowledge... hence why it is called black Madeira....?  (i don't think any figs are native to the USA?)

Most searches for Black Mission mention that it was brought to california by missionaries from the Balearic Islands in the 1700s

I have 2 small Preto cuttings that i rooted this past winter and they are nothing more then 2 fmv distorted leaves each, They do not want to grow at all. Now my 2 black madeiras that I got last summer hardly show the fmv at all.  I keep reading that preto is supposed to be cleaner but it doesn't seem that way in my yard.

I think you misunderstood me, I realize all these figs come from Europe, what I am saying is I am not aware of one being able to obtain them from Europe at this time because they are not known by their American names, nor are they sold/traded currently under any "alternate" or original European name (eg Hardy Chicago, a/k/a Mongibello). Many times figs are lost in Europe and rediscovered in the Americas. I am aware of a member of the forum in Spain who very much desired to try our F. Preto, and now he has it. Hopefully he will be able to reintroduce Preto all over Spain and Portugal.

AH!  Thanks for clarifying.  I definitely misunderstood!

Hi! Everyone,

I used Reiki energy to check on these three fig cultivars: Violeta, Black Madeira and Figo Preto. All these 3 fig cultivars have exactly identical energies. So, Black Madeira and Figo Preto are Violeta. 

Best,
Tam

Thanks, Tam!
So the post #2 was correct then! :)

I think a dna test might be more accurate

Igor, I do not know if all 3 are the same, but please get some serious information from experienced growers that have all 3 or knows something about them from research.

I am relatively new to the forum so please don't take what I say too seriously. 

But what appears to me is that the old country(s) has had hundreds of fig varieties for thousands of years.  In my visits there clearly the people there love figs but they don't spend a lot of time pondering fig variety names.  Although everyone seems to have a fig tree I found no one there that collects fig trees.  Why would you figs are everywhere over there.  Of course recently many countries have started fig restoration societies so this is changing.

North America on the other hand with many immigrants and descendants from those same countries.  For nostalgia, novelty or whatever reason many of us seem to love figs more than anyone.  This coupled with the different attitudes here has resulted in hundreds if not thousands of fig varieties given names and many new cultivars developed.
So the fig may have come from the old country originally but more than likely it got its name here.

Well Mission fig clearly got its name from the Franciscan missionaries but Figo Preto is clearly a portuguese name that means "dark fig."

That sounds like a good explanation @ Joe/Pino.

Hey Tam,
Your attitude is great.
"

Think Violeta is much closer to VDB, than BM or Fico Preto. Not sure reiki for fig ID is a proper function of it's intended use