I'm doing a little research on this fig, and I know some of you have grown it.  In the GRIN database it is also known as Grosse Monstrueuse de Lipari, which I think is French for "monstrous big of Lipari".  Isolo de Lipari is an island off the northern coast of Sicily, yet the name of the fig is French.

Is this cultivar from Isolo de Lipari?  Is Lipari Italian or French speaking, and is it politically Italian?

My fathers family migrated here from Sicily in 1916, and I've lost touch with any of my relatives in Sicilia and Naploi.

Here's the link to the GRIN database

Thanks.

I do not know much about the heritage of this particular fig. However, I have been growing Monstreuse in the ground for a few years now. My tree was rooted from cuttings that came from UC Davis. The tree is heavily infected with FMV and I have not eaten very many figs from this tree. The figs that I did eat had a dark red pulp and were very good tasting. It would be nice to find a Monstreuse fig which did not have FMV.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

I tried to root from UC Davis cuttings this year, and that was a flop.  I shared at least one large stick with a figfriend, and I dunno if they had any luck rooting.  The cuttings were in very poor shape.  I didn't get so much as a single leaf break and roots were weak and skinny and very few.

The tree at UC Davis is likely heavily infested with FMV too. I really believe that this fig has great potential and I will continue trying to grow it for a few more years. My tree has started its second leaf flush and that part is not showing any deformed leaves. There were lots of deformed leaves on the first leaf flush.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

My monstreuse shows no sign of FMV that I can see ( I know redundent ) it makes lots of figs but it fruited during our rainy season this year and all split wide open I still ate some and they are very good.
Even that added ant crunch

Jim, did yours come from UC Davis??

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

It is from Just Fruits and Exotics don't know where they got it

Jim, is the name monstreuse appropriate? How big does the fig get?

The figs are impressive as big as any main crop fig I have but not huge I had no breba's maybe they are bigger.

I got one from JF&E this spring. Also no FMV. Still in pot has made several figs ,all split before really maturing. We've experianced a sudden onset of rain.
 The largest figs on the Monstreause so far aren't as big as the LSU Tiger or Miss Hall.
I've heard it described as a good fig with an "unfortunate name".
I'm going to set up some air layers.
Dave.

http://s1098.photobucket.com/albums/g371/cmdrzog/?action=view&current=IMG_0282.jpg#!oZZ34QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs1098.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fg371%2Fcmdrzog%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DIMG_0281.jpghttp://s1098.photobucket.com/albums/g371/cmdrzog/?action=view&current=IMG_0282.jpg#!oZZ34QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs1098.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fg371%2Fcmdrzog%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DIMG_0281.jpg

http://s1098.photobucket.com/albums/g371/cmdrzog/?action=view&current=IMG_0282.jpg

UCD sourced Monstreuse does well on LI, NY

Not sure the links will post correctly

There you go.


that looks beautiful by the way.

Thank you for fixing that. 

It is a really tasty fig though I don't find it particularly large. 

Not a problem.

Thanks for the info on the figs, everyone.

I did find some info on the region that I think the variety comes from.

Aeolian Islands, Lipari and Milazzo

Since you've resurrected my thread form a year ago, I'll post a pic of the UCD cuttings I've started.  We'll see how they turn out

This is a UCD cutting from this year.  I thought I had read that people were not impressed with this fig but now I'm glad I rooted one.
 

The Grosse is a small green fig with an incredibly sweet strawberry interior. There was a fig contest awhile back. This fig won. A good source for information can be obtained from Andy Marianni at Andy's Orchard in Morgan Hill, CA. There is a website. When I moved from Morgan Hill to Richmond, MA in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, I took five with me and they are now growing in containers. It is a challenge to grow figs in this area, but I'm trying. They go in the basement under grow lights in the winter and then out in May after the frost. They yield fruit but it's a challenge for them to ripen in the short growing season here, but the yield gets better and better each year. The plan is to put in a green house, which I hope will help. You can usually get Andy's figs in September at his place. Currently there is an abundance of a huge variety of stone fruit. Worth checking it out without a doubt. Tony Vitto.

Huge leaves

Dan, 
I grew 3 from UCDavis and just like you said, the 2 were heavily infected but the 3rd one came out OK, the infected ones had very deformed leaves and netted shapes besides the viral mosaic pattern. Im still holding on the them hoping they may improve with heavy feeding.

Lipari are islands off the cost of Sicily. , Sicily was dominated by the French and Austrians before Italy united 154 year ago. Very possible that's where it started from and gone to France where it was given the name "Monstrueuse" for the size

I have an extra one gallon Monstrueuse if anyone would like it for cost of shipping only. It's very clean, but small. PM me. 

Hi Gary this is Mario again
Not sure my PM went trough, I am interested if not to late

It's gone to Mario. Go Giants!!