Last month I was heading to Home Depot and while driving through my neighbor I got to a stop sign and there it was at the curb, a bundle of fig branches from someone who obviously just prepared their trees for winter.  I couldn't resist and threw the bundle in the back of my truck.  A few days later I went through the branches and it became apparent from some of the remaining fruit that there were at least two varieties, a brown and a white.  So I went through the bundle and put together 3 piles of cuttings.  One pile definitely brown, one definitely white and the largest pile of unknown.  I took 24 of the unknown cuttings and put them in a large cell pack and placed them in a large clear storage container on a heater mat.  Well 5 weeks later I have leaf activity on all 24.  Only time will tell if the varieties are a gem or a flop.

The plan is to now plant some of the definitely brown and definitely white cuttings and hopefully there will be enough of a difference in the leaf shape that I will be able to categorize my 24 unknowns.

Hey there are much worse addictions.

 

If it were me, I would remember the location and go by in the summer for a friendly fig-to-fig conversion with the original owner. He might be able to give you lots of information. In my experience, most people don't know enough about their fig trees to even prune them. They they know to do that, they probably know a lot more about the trees in question.

Awesome. Way to own up to it.

I am going to try and stop by in the Spring and see if they can provide some info on the varieties.  Just not sure how I am going to start the conversation.  "Hello.  I'm the guy that took your fig cuttings in November.  They are doing well but can you tell me something about them?"  To a fig junky that may be okay but to an average person it could come across as a bit odd.

 You think?   sounds normal to me.  
It's great you rescued his cuttings.  I love those mystery and unknown figs.

I would say something like "Hey man, I noticed you have some fig trees. Were you the guy who threw a bunch of cuttings out on the roadside for the trash guys? Wow, thanks! I picked those up and have X new little figlets going because of of you. Can I share one with you?"

I bet he will tell you everything he knows about them at that point ;-)

Hey Bill, by the way, really good going on getting those cuttings to grow and leaf out. No baggies, sphagnum moss, transfer from cup to cup or magic dust or SIPs or rooting hormone. Great job! Keep us posted.

Like they say, "One man's trash is another man's treasure".  I'll keep you updated.