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Sals C or Smith

I am pretty sure I know the answer but wanted "expert" opinions.  Was gifted this tree from a most generous member as a Sals C but was double labeled as Smith and Sals C.

Was very good, little seed crunch. not all that sweet but great figgy taste.  young tree.

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Sal C

  • jtp

I agree. It does not look like Smith.

Sal C is what I was thinking

You have Sal's Corleone.

I  also have a Smith. It is an excellent fig too but different, so please don't get me wrong.

Sal's Corleone has many synonyms: Aldo's Fig, Palermo Red, Clem's Sicilian 8-Ball, Black Weeping, Chico Malibu (just added this one), and others. 
Comparing the two figs here is my observation and opinion.

Smith is one heck of a fig in taste. It is not a pretty fig but it packs some flavor. My Smith's fig tree does not produce a lot of figs.

Sal's Corleone is a large fig in size and a more productive variety. It produces brebas that are much larger in size and tastes the same as the main crop! It is consistent year to year and produces more and more delicious figs. It is resistant to mosaic. It produces a small gum droplet that blocks the ostiole to insects. It is a sweet and juicy mouthful of a fig that has a rich flavor - characteristics you don't always find all together in one fig variety. I have yet to meet anyone who does not like this fig. Everyone who tastes this fig wants a tree from me. That tells you something. 

If I had the room, I would keep both the Smith and Sal's Corleone because they are different. However, If I had to make a choice between the two- hand's down, I would keep the Sal's Corleone. This is just my personal opinion. I respect my colleagues who chose to differ.

  • jtp

I have never heard that Black Weeping was the same as Sal's Corleone. I have both and they look different.

Bass, can you please give us some insight/information, as you sell both?

Leon,is correct,a fig called Weeping fig turned out to be similar to Sal Corleone.
I think that is what he refers as Black Weeiping.
Sal Corleone is a good fig once it matures.
When young it will suffer from rain problems in rainy climate ,once it grows up,and the figs form higher on branch,they tend to have closer eye so no more splitting.
Your pix show an example of juvenile fruit,with defective eye,and that is because the plant is too young to perform and make better fruits.

GREAT infomation Leon and Herman.  You are absolutly correct Herman, it is a young tree.

THANKS to all.

I have an UNK sitting next to it (Vern lost tag) that looks just like it. When get ripe fruit I will likely post for confirmation that is it a Sals C as well.,

How cold hardy is the Sals C?  will it so well in ground for me in 6B or does it need to stay potted?

  • jtp

Herman, is it similar, as in they are both Mt. Etna types or have they been determined to be the same fig? I was not aware that Sal's had a weeping habit. My Sal's has a slightly different leaf and has not been as vigorous as my Black Weeping. Anyone else have any further information?

Aldo`s fig does also good here in upstate ny a good fig to have.Ciao,
Giuseppe

I thought Smith fig was a green fig, how could it be confused w a Sal's Corleone??

Rafaelissimo: Smith is not a green fig. It is a blotchy light purplish fig when ripe. 

John: "Black Weeping Fig" was named that way by the person who introduced this excellent variety into our circle. She gave it that name because her tree grew into a very graceful looking specimen that took on a weeping form in a large container. Much to the surprise of those who wanted this fig solely because of the distinct growth habit of the mother tree, we now know that the weeping form of the tree was most likely produced from an unpruned tree that was allowed to grow long spiny branches. The fruit that bore at the distal nodes most likely forced the branches to droop. In comparing the figs side-by-side, Sal's Corleone, Aldo's, Palermo Red, Black Weeping, and a few others are the same variety. There is no particular variety of fig that grows naturally into a weeping tree form that I know of. It's a phenomena that apparently just happens on it's own. If you wanted to make your own weeping fig tree, it's a simple process to just weigh down the distal branches just as nature did with the "Black Weeping Fig".

  • jtp

Leon: So what you are saying is that this trait or, more accurately tendency, occurred over time due to excess fig weight? Do these varieties tend to have weaker branches when compared to say Atreano or any other unrelated varieties? I am not trying to be Devil's Advocate or anything. I am just interested, as I have both Sal's and Black Weeping.

Neither type of fig had any weeping growth initially for me. They were normal upright trees. This year, Sal's remains upright, while Black Weeping is starting to weep slightly as it gets older, even though it has only one fig and no applied weights. While the figs produced are similar, is it possible that Black Weeping is a sport of Sal's that possesses this one difference, thus making it unique?

I know I have seen photos of Rafed's Magnolia that weeps, while the majority of that variety do not. To my knowledge, he applied no weights; nor do I recall him saying that he allowed it to grow unrestricted and "spiny." Again, could this possibly be some sort of mutation?

If a fig grows in a strange manner and its offspring grow in that same manner, a noteable difference from the original mother variety, would that not be considered a new type? I do not know the exact origin of Black Weeping. Who is to say that it did not grow from seed like Raspberry Latte or is not a deviation (Chimera) like Panachee? Weeping might not be dramatic, but it could be considered different enough from the trees to which it is similar to warrant a separate designation.

I have no doubt that we have a lot of figs out there with multiple names (Bensonhurst Purple/Hardy Chicago comes to mind). I just wonder if this is one of them or not. Any tree can be manipulated to appear different. They do that with bonsai all the time. Did this original grower coerce her tree to weep?

Mind you, I ultimately could care either way, so long as both varieties give me good figs. And I have zero intention of upsetting anyone (which appears to be easy to do at times). If I have, I apologize. That said, I would genuinely like to know more than has been stated and/or speculated so far.

To Leon and others who grow this family of figs - does SalsC need a lot of sun to be productive and flavorful?  Or would it do ok with ~ 6 hours of direct sun?

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