Last year I spent 2 weeks working in San Antonio, TX. I visited a farmers market and they were selling fresh figs they call Celeste. The fig was small yellow fig with a drop of honey at the eye. This fig was really sweet. Three different vendors were selling the same variety of this fig and they all called it Celeste, they also were selling Blue Giant fig.
Could that be the Golden Celeste? or could it be something else?

Hi Bass,

In Texas that is what is known as 'Celeste' or 'Sugar Fig'. It is more of a light brown with yellow-green undertones. It usually has three lobed leaf. Last year, I bought a tree at a Houston nursery which was labeled 'Celeste', however this one has a five lobed leaf with much deeper lobes than the 'Sugar Fig'. I'll wait to see how the fruit compares. If you're looking for a tree which produces the fruit you describe, I have rooted cuttings.

Perhaps, this summer we can get people to post pictures of their 'Celeste' fruit/leaves. I think it will be interesting to see how much they differ.

~james

Thanks james,
It kinda remind me of the picture in the logo. that's Jon's Brown Turkey, doesn't it look similar?

Color-wise, it is about the same... maybe slightly darker. Mine are a uniform pyriform (try saying that fast three times) shape and somewhat ribbed. Even when the figs stay on the tree long enough to dry, they maintain their shape pretty well.

I took pictures two years ago, but I can't seem to find it. I'll take more this year to show the exterior, interior and leaf. Below are some of Jon's pictures of a 'Celeste' in the Miscellaneous category. I'm not sure of the size, but it very easily could be from one of the cuttings I sent him. The picture of the interior seems to be too "red" and the texture is too coarse compared to mine.

~james

I don't remember it being that red. The interior seems too red in the photo, I remember it being more like honey color.

A honey color is what I remember as well.

Jon,
do you know if Golden Celeste is another name for the fig we're describing? or is Golden Celeste different than the what they call celeste in Texas?
The fig I remember in San Antonio, TX looks more like the figs you have in your logo, similar to the Encanto brown turkey. with Honey interior color.

Jon's picture of the "Celeste" fruit meets my criteria for Celeste except for the pulp color, which is pink here in Texas. The presence of wild caprifigs in Jon's area and the fertility of Jon's cultivars (Vista Mission) brings to mind the possibility that the pulp is a deeper red due to caprification. Condit mentions a difference in the pulp color of fig cultivars when the fig has been caprified. The pulp of a number of Jon's cultivars that I also have in my collection seem to have a darker, more intense color. Of course, the difference could be due to climate.

Hi Mountainman:You can see an Example that Condit was right,about,interior color,if you look at the picture of Beal,on Figs4fun.
Jon Have picture of Beal,from UC Davis visit,that some has Strawberries interior,and other Beal,have Light amber.
The light amber is Identical how the fig interior was in my backyard without,caprification(polination)
This is evidence that it is Just like that.
Best Regards

Bass,
Could this be your Texas Celeste?

Cathy,

Hi Dan,
I was amazed at how solid the drop was and took several pictures.
Tacky but not sticky.

That is what I call "almost solid taffy-like honey" when I write descriptions of my figs. You can actually roll it into a little ball between your fingers. Not all figs will do that. Most never get beyond the liquid state of honey. On a Cajun Honey or Golden Celeste (AP) fig tree, ALL OF THE FiGS will do that and produce near solid honey. Both of those cultivars belong in the "super sweet" category of figs. They are beyond just being very sweet and are actually too sweet for some people's taste. It is almost a cloying sweetness.

Fall's Gold is supposed to be a very good fig. I had one that suffered badly from FMV and it ended up dying. The tree pictured looks very healthy.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

Dan,

Cathy,

Cathy,

I really appreciate your kind offer. However, I am just about out of room for the trees I already have (>150) and a few more that I have been promised.  I am still looking for more land.....and will be sending some marginal figs to fig heaven to make room for new varieties to trial. Maybe one day...... Thanks,  and please do keep us informed on that tree. It looks like a good one.
-----------------------------------------