Meet Giovanni




This is his Fico Paradiso that he brought from Italy 30 years ago.



It's a very large tree as you can see.

 Beautiful pic

As always thanks for shareing the pictures.
Thats a very strong healthy looking plant i like to add.
Also read the article and it was most enjoyabe.

Bass seen this a couple weeks ago and forgot to post. Heres the link to the story http://www.messyandpicky.com/index.php/2009/09/28/giovanni-the-man-behind-the-figs/

Great read The hot peanuts had me cracking up
Sal

Yes it's a nice strong tree. I'm wondering if it's the same fig that Gene from DC got.

Hi Bass, thanks for posting. That's one beautiful tree.

Bass thats exactly what I was thinking too and thats why I was planning on posting glad you did. Lovely tree

Bass & Nelson,

Thanks for putting this out there. The article is great!! I love the comments at the end....."I want Giovanni to be my Grampa"...hilarious!!!

Thanks,
Little John

Wow! When I first saw the pics I thought for sure I was seeing some shots from "the old country" until I read the article. PA no less! I want my fig trees to be like that! Awesome stuff.

Anyone else posting here have trees anywhere near that size? Photos?

-Bill. 

i know where there's a blue celeste that size just near the Atlanta Zoo, just 10-12 blocks from my house.  but it dropped all its leaves in the last 2-3 weeks and went into dormancy, making it quite tough to appreciate the size and beauty.

Here's one grown about 75 miles north of Philadelphia. I posted this earlier on garden web under pennsylvania fig valley. There are 3 different varieties grown there.
They produced buckets full of dark figs from september through november when they got hit by the freeze.
I'm calling it Salem's dark fig since it's a dark fig that he obtained from Syria

Bill, my grandparents had a gigantic black mission at their home in Sacramento (on 52nd st, next to an elementary school). It towered over the house and shaded part of the school playground, and covered a big chunk of the back yard as well. When my cousin inherited the house, he wasn't a fig fan, and I understand he cut it way back, or possibly even had it removed. I may have a slide of it (or at least of the massive trunk) somewhere--if I ever unearth it, I'll scan and post it.

I waited for the wife to get home to confirm, but that sure does look like Junior, Tony Soprano's uncle on TV. Uncle Jun glasses and all Cent' Anni to him
Sal

I knew this man well. I used to live quite a few years in south Philly.  There are many many fig trees in the Italian neighborhood of S.Philadelphia. Like the article said, many are protected by walls which really shields the winds that flow down those streets.  Very bad in winter. 

Hey Bass, do you know how Salem winter protects that tree?

Bass, Thanks again for this Giovanni & his fig tree story.  Thanks also for the additional photo of the trees further north in PA.

I'm really looking forward to next season as it will represent my first season growing (or trying to grow) figs  :) .

Salem covers his figs with mulch up to 4'-5'. The top branches will die back in winter. However the tree is so vigorous it recovers quickly by sending new shoots.

Re. the 5-6 different Paradiso figs please see:

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/fico-paradiso-6484818?pid=1281354350#post1281354350

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fig/msg0222022731287.html

No problem, it's a fascinating topic and I thought maybe others would want to read the background too.

By the way, does anyone know if Giovanni's Paradiso variety is "in circulation"?

Chuck, I don't really know about most of the Paradiso figs although the article about Giovanni's gives you some idea about his.  I know that Paradiso-Gene is reasonably cold hardy but not sure if it is quite as cold hardy as the Mt. Etna types.  It has been successfully grown in-ground in my zone 7 area without protection though I don't know how it fared after our exceptionally cold winter last year.

Rewton

Giovanni's Paradiso is incomparably sublime, I believe I am one of the few to have tasted it. His tree was damaged enough by last winter that he did not have any for sale last season. To answer your other question, I am not aware of anybody growing it, but the Paradiso Gene is closest to his of all the various Paradisos. I also believe these are the "original" Paradiso, as does Herman. Other people feel strongly about the Morle Paradiso being more authentic. Whatever, I like these.

Thanks Rafael.  Hopefully, at some point Giovanni will provide cuttings to some fig enthusiasts so that this Paradiso variant can be preserved.  It would be interesting to grow this Paradiso along side Paradiso-Gene to compare them.