"Local folks say this fantastic white fig tree was planted by Luther Burbank himself."

It's speculation of course but I love the story. Anyway, I managed to get a few cuttings of this fig tree this week. I have no more info on it yet but I'm still researching. Supposedly the tree is in Geyserville, Ca near Santa Rosa, just north of SF.

one of Many figs you Discovered, thanks Sue
Mark

wow! That's a big tree! Can't wait to see the figs from it. Thanks,

Luther Burbank is my idol. He bred many fruit varieties. Wen he died he wanted to be buried near a cedar of Lebanon.

Bass,

He was buried under the Cedar of Lebanon tree. Unfortunately the tree became diseased and had to be cut down in '89 (?). The wood was used to make benches and other wooden objects. One of the benches was sold to Charles Schultz of Peanuts fame. When he passed away in 2000, his wife donated the bench back to the Luther Burbank Foundation to be auctioned off...that was last year. Didn't hear the final selling price but it was over $1300 at one point.

http://www.lutherburbank.org/bench

http://santarosa.towns.pressdemocrat.com/2011/11/news/who-will-own-the-luther-and-sparky-bench/

Sue

I heard about the tree dying, but not the bench.
That's a beautiful bench.
Lt me know how this fig is... I wonder if it is anything unique.

I'm curious about its variety too. It is probably a common fig but who knows? I'm going to try and get photos of the fruit this summer.
Sue

I have a filling that cultivar is not an ordinary cultivar but one selection,of hybrid made by MR Burbank.
And this person produced fruit tree selected for their good qualities and not for the big Business.
Luther Burbank approach to plant improvement sound natural and correct to me.

I'm a fan of Luther Burbank and have visited his experimental farm at Sebastopol a few times.  I'm not familiar with any work that he had done with figs so I wonder if this is a fig he "just" planted, not developed.  I have a book, Luther Burbank, His Methods and Discoveries and Their Practical Applications printed in 1915.  I bought it on eBay several years ago and it was part of the library in Lansdowne, PA originally.  I don't find any mention of figs in it.

Harvey,

That's what I'm thinking too. I haven't found any data on Mr Burbank breeding figs. I think it's just one he liked and planted...that is all the statement above says after all. Now whether it is a common fig sold in stores or one brought over from the old country that Mr Burbank liked is a question to be answered in the future.

The fact that this tree is mentioned as being excellent and is being propagated and planted in school orchards around Calif by Common Vision says a lot about its taste. It may be a Adriatic, an excellent fig. It could be a Marseille/Lattarula. It could even be a Kadota. Then again...the fun is in the discovery. We shall see.

Sue

Who wants to bet it's a Mission?

On the Wiki page for Luther Burbank it lists the different plants he developed and it shows 2 figs.

Chivas,

I'll take that bet! Since it says it's a White fig, I win!

Sue

Might help if I read that part.

All in fun. ;-)

There are many varieties in California that are unique varieties. The problem is many of them are pollinated and their characters are changed when we try to grow them on the east coast. It might end up being a smyrna type.

I ,just like Chapman,also,red somewhere,that he did produce 2 fig selection,but I can't pinpoint where I have seen it mentioned.

As others had said, there are many undiscovered wild figs in California. I know a park which has around 100 different wild fig trees all seedlings, a lot of them probably carp figs. Most likely great selections amoung the trees as well.

I just Goolged and found something interesting.  Of the book I mentioned above, I have volume XI.  A book with the same title, volume IX, shows some discussion of figs, see http://books.google.com/books?id=7Qo9AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA297&lpg=PA297&dq=luther+burbank+figs&source=bl&ots=-Hf0LWMseG&sig=ksejZ1xwdDm0niDvnyjmjryOiKk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3GEYUbLnOYj3igLvrYH4Ag&ved=0CFgQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=luther%20burbank%20figs&f=false

He said 99 of the 100 seedlings he planted were useless, then this is probably the only one he selected. I love that he tried hybridizing a mulberry and a fig.

I've written the historical group that oversees the Burbank museum for info on his fig breeding. Harvey, I've been following the organization called Common Vision for some time. They are on Facebook and have a website, http://www.commonvision.org/. They propagate fruit trees for planting on school grounds here in CA along with the kids. It's a great volunteer group.

On their Facebook page they posted the photo above along with the story and said they collected cutting from this tree for propagation in 2007. One of these trees was planted on a school's grounds near me last year. It is in Lakeside. I just haven't taken the time to track it down. I contacted them and offered to trade Preto for this one. They were happy to do so. I'll send you the point of contact privately tomorrow.

Sue

My Father grafted Grape vine on Mulberry,and is done by drilling a hole in the mulberry trunk and passing the grape  branch trough the hole.
The  grape stem grow in diameter and the mulberry heal itself,and in a couple of years ,the grape can be cut off from the ground and become part of  Mulberry.
It made abundant harvest but the  grape berry had a mulberry flavor.

A bit off topic but if anyone enjoys brambles and wants a unique variety I have Luther Burbank's "Snowbank" white blackberry. I can save some seed this summer for any members interested?? From what I read it was bred to come true from seed. 

Just PM me.

Tyler

I found more history on this "Burbank" fig. It's growing at the Isis Oasis, a retreat in Geyserville where Burbank spent a lot of time. It was a Sufi temple at the time.
I wrote the Historical Society in charge of caring for the Burbank estate regarding the 2 figs associated with Burbank. She said he did introduce 2 figs but they were imported and not bred by him. Unfortunately she had no info on these figs location or description as the only fig on the estate she believes is a Mission planted after his passing. It's still unknown if the tree I received cutting from is one of his imports or a common commercial fig. Leo said he would try to get photos of the fruit for me this summer. So there ya go...

Sue