Hey all, been mostly lurking the forums for quite some time and definitely have caught the fig bug! Currently working on building my collection and improving my rooting techniques while seeking out new varieties.

I came across this fig tree in South Los Angeles. I'm fairly inexperienced but it appears to an older multi-trunk tree possibly planted when the property was developed in 1951. The tree is currently bare of leaves but has quite a few medium sized green/purple striped figs which have not yet ripened.

I would appreciate any help identifying the tree, and if worthwhile hope to raid it for as many cuttings as possible. The tree has apparently received little or no pruning during its existence and has about 9 fairly large trunks and many more suckers, some of which must be close to 2" in diameter.

I apologize for the Imgur link, but the photos were too large to post to forum.

http://imgur.com/a/Hj5x2

Cheers,

Nick

nice looking fig save me a few cuttings :-)

   

I would be happy to, as you can see there should be enough cuttings for everyone. The tree as far as I can tell has been entirely neglected for most of its existence save for when they trim it back from encroaching on the parking lot next door.

Also, thanks for the pic upload.

Hard to tell, but I'll trade you some varieties for a few of these whenever you're ready.  Welcome to the forum!

Hey Nick I'm right there with you just starting out. Welcome to the forum. It's the best. Members have shared cuttings and saved me from disasters many times over. I'd love to try cuttings from this tree. Looks like a beauty and Mystery Figs are so interesting. I do have cuttings from a pretty vigorous IBT to share, if you'd like some. I'll PM you.

Hey Frank and Dave, please PM me your info and I would be glad to send you some cuttings.

For now I'm just referring to the tree as the "South Park Fig" based on where I found the tree. I have no idea who planted the tree or where it came from, but maybe one of you with greater experience could hazard a guess as to the tree's age, which may shed light on its origin. South Park, as with much of South Central, was originally an upscale neighborhood with glamorous Victorian and craftsman style homes. The neighborhood has changed much over the years and while not as dangerous as it once was, it continues to be largely influenced by street gangs and narcotics activity.

I'm hoping the tree turns out to be something more interesting than our typical local nursery offerings, but time will tell. At the very least I'm confident that it is a tree which will thrive in my climate and produce figs.

That is a nice looking fig, I hope it turns out top be a winner!!!!

Unknowns are fun to trial, I'd be interested when the time comes.

Fruits hanging in winter - ? caprifig, probably wild from bird droppings

Hello Nick
Welcome to the forum

All looks point to a nice dark Caprifig which in LA is as good all other figs!
IMHO it's from the Mamme crop also referred to as the winter Caprifig.
If you can, show us a cut-away of one of these figs...just to be sure !
Please carefully cut around going no deeper then skin+flesh and pry open!

I remember old talk about a LA creek, crossing one side of the city and having
plenty of Caprifigs on its banks as well as some edible nice seedlings
Am i right ?

Francisco
Portugal

Interesting about the possibility of it being a caprifig, I will have to conduct a few dissections. However, we are having an unusual El Nino winter in Southern California, and I currently have an Italian Honey and Corky's delight with unripe fruit on the bare branches as well. 

Francisco, I have never heard of a creek in LA lined by fig trees. If you know any more about it I would certainly try my best to find and explore it

Hi Nick,

if you open Google earth , look for the Ballona Creek ... that's the one I mentioned
As a reference see where this creek   crosses Centinela Avenue..
On both banks, layered with cement you shall probably see the Caprifigs..

Francisco
Portugal

Welcome!  Caprifigs aren't usually good to eat but a lot of us are interested in them anyway.

Francisco,that is perfect; the Ballona creek bike path starts right by my house. I'll give it a ride and report back, thanks for the tip!

Nick,

This is now a good timing to look for caprifigs. The trees have no leaves and you can see the Mamme crop from a reasonable distance .

The banks of creeks are meeting points for all sorts of birds and rodents .. dropping seeds here and there

The joints and/or cracks on those thin slabs of cement are perfect traps for all sorts of seeds blown by wind...(fig seeds included) the soil underneath is generally moist , with plenty of nutrients and the germination/growth is rapid.

you may also spot caprifigs growing on the pruned trunks of palm trees (ex.Phoenix canariensis)
A good friend has 3 of this caprifigs growing on the short trunk of a such palm right in his garden and will air layer two of them to plant later in ground as root stocks

On a diff palm (geminated trunks) a fig was born certainly from birds.... see these pics

 
But the fruit were not Caprifigs. They were edible black Smyrna figs


 

Good luck and tell us what you have found

Francisco
Portugal

Francisco,
Those figs growing on palm trees are fascinating! Couple palm trees out front, looks like I may have just increased my arable square footage haha! I'll take a trip down to Ballona this weekend hopefully.
Nick

Hi, Nick & welcome!! it looks like a good fig ir caprifig?! I would be happy to have cuttings. I'll PM you.

  Cut off the stalks with 2 different kaprifigi.

Just returned to the tree today to get some cuttings and took some photos of the figs. I have no experience with caprifigs, but this seems similar to photos online. There was no loose pollen inside that I could observe. I looked very closely and was unable to find any evidence of wasp activity.
   

Nick,
No doubt now.
That's a Caprifig
Another member (JuneBug) recently showed pictures of another similar Caprifig in her area.
here is what I have commented and this applies entirely to your wild fig
quote/ ....
The fruit you see on your tree is the Mamme crop or the winter fig and the hundreds of round capsules inside are its modified female flower - the galls-.
Inside every gall there is a wasp developing through its metamorphosis stages
Born by mid/late autumn these Mamme figs shall be ripe and ready this coming March

By that time your great tree will be full of nice leaves and thousands of new figs of the next crop
- the Profichi -  and these Profichis will grow with the following generation of wasps inside and  by May/June - these Profichi will gradually ripen and squadron after squadron of diligent little wasps will emerge from their insides smeared with golden pollen to caprificate ALL receptive figs they find.
You need your weather  to keep nice along the coming months with no excessively hot days.
/ ..unquote

You can from now on, if you have some spare time follow the development of what will happen to that tree.. watch for the following developments :

-soon those ugly/hard Mamme figs will be surrounded by many green or dark figlets, the Profichis popping out from last year's wood, just like brebas do ..There will be (if weather helps) hundreds of them. You may take good pictures of branches with a Mamme and a dozen or so  profichis around it

-By mid March the winter Mamme figs change color to a yellowish/brown, become soft, the wasp larvae are now full female black insects carrying a load of eggs and they immediately move inside the many Profichis just next door, filling the Profichi galls with their eggs..-one egg per gall - dying afterwards.

This pic shows receptive Profichi by mid March at the time they receive wasps coming from the decaying Mamme

 
-These Profichi figs will grow fast with a new load of larvae  and a bush of male flowers just under the ostiole.
From the three Caprifig crops this is the only fig to produce pollen and its new generation of wasps
By late May early June these figs will ripen  (soften)  and thousands of insects smeared with pollen will emerge from them and will pollinate all other figs - Common SanPedro and Smyrna- growing nearby.

good luck
Francisco
Portugal