I received this tree in December 2009 (Thanks Jon). On Tuesday 03 August, I picked a first ripe fruit - and almost missed it because I have been traveling.

FYI. This is the first fig to ripen from a tree under my care in my back yard [insert Fist Pump]. And there are a few more to follow.

Size: almost quarter-sized in width and thickness
Eye: closed
Color: green skin & burgundy interior
Taste: not sweet, not complex...yet. i trust this will change as the tree matures
Texture: jam-like consistency is outstanding
Seeds: small; moderate amount; no crunch

Congrats very nice looking fig

Should be a fair amount bigger as the tree matures. Sweetness increases if really ripe - but that may also be a function of age. Very prolific. It is in the top one or two trees of the fellow I originally got it from, and he has 50 or so different varieties.

Way to go JD!  Looks good.  I picked my first Chico Strawberry yesterday and man was it good!

About two weeks ago, I was a day late, rain, and several ants short. Subsequently...



Yesterday...





I picked it after dinner and photographed it outside...thus the natural light







Once inside and unnaturally 'lighted'...

Hi JD.  Congratulations, and I am certain that this is just the beginning of great success with your fig orchard.

We should have our first Strawberry Verte next season hopefully, but it's rooted well and growing strong this season.

While I of course defer to my colleagues with far more experience on the general question of how age of the tree affects flavor, I can tell you that our LSU Purple (about 8 years total in ground) just gets better every year.  It's gone from good the first few years, to outstanding, with the sweetness and flavor dramatically improving this year especially.  I've gone from enjoying the LSU Purples, to great excitement in picking every single one.  It has been very productive this year, and yet with our family of 5 not one LSU Purple is going to waste.  They are becoming that good!  I hope it will be the same with all your figs, including this Strawberry Verte, that it will get better every year.

In just the few years I have been growing figs it is becoming obvious that there are great variations in flavor even from the same tree, depending on many factors including heat, rain, age of the tree, sunlight, soil quality, and no doubt many other factors as well.

Best wishes.

John
North Georgia Piedmont
Zone 7b

They are pretty precocious. Some of my rootings from this season have fruit.

Along with most of its other fig siblings, this tree was pruned severely to about waist height. I thought I had done irreparable damage, however the vigorous weed-like characteristics of the fig always seems to win out. Call us oh so fortunate. FMV has an investment as well.

Thanks for the updates on the various figs. These threads really help both in making initial decisions, as well seeing what a few of my fledgling figs like Strawberry Verte will be like. If I'm lucky. :)

Thanks JD,

Could this be the same as a Italian Strawberry? I remember seeing the IS listed as being the same as something but I can't remember what.

I'll add it to my list of needed acquisitions.

Looking good!

Finally waited long enough until these figs are dead ripe.  It turns yellow with some brown streaks.  Flavor was really good, about 10x's better than picked a day early.  Sweet and jammy consistency with somewhat complex flavor.

Yes. These are much better if and when you can wait until they are "dead ripe", i.e., when they get wrinkly, turn yellow, streak brown, and begin to dry on the tree. The last image attached to post #5 shows it better than I can say it...

Bump

I have a Battaglia just to confuse things even further. Some say it's the same as a Strawberry Verte.

Really nice to know how to tell when the Verte is ripe.  Thanks for the nice photos.  Mine looks exactly the same, except the figs have come a little too late for ripening this year.  I think this warm weather has confused it.

Suzi

It's unfortunate that many climates apparently don't allow this fig to fully ripen before rot, mold, or splitting sets in. I won't consider any of the Strawberry Verte fruit pictured above to be fully ripe. Only the bottom pictures in post 5 with some shriveling are really ripe. I let mine shrivel even more. Those fruits that aren't dark red inside are green in my view.

When fully ripe SV has a flavor that resembles my best nectarines. That's a high compliment because those are some of my best fruits.

Mine hang for about a week after going limp in hot dry weather. In late fall this year I let the last fruit hang about 4 weeks limp. It was not as good as a hot weather fruit but excellent for a fruit harvested Dec 11.