Posting for Maggie ...

Ciao Amici, I was introduced yesturday to a neighbor down the street who I really never talked to. He is a Frenchman, born and raised in the Mediterranean South France. We had a lovely chat while eating and having a few laughs, It was nice to talk to him. I told him about the Fig trees that I was growing and he told me to take this fig with me home, he had it out in his back yard. I didn't even know he had one!!! just came up. he doesn't want it, he is just getting too old. It was neglected terrible over the last few years. I told him I would care for it. According to him, he brought it to America as a cutting a few years ago when he returned from France while visiting his family. It grew well, but Like I said, he's getting old. The fig was basically dying when I got it, I trimmed all the dry dead leaves from it and alot of bad branches. Any Ideas as to what this tree would be. He said the fruit on this unknown French is very black, not purple, or dark red, but Black. The leaves from what I can see are usually three lobed and very pointy at the tips. Here is the pictures I took when I brought home and did some major work to it. I believe it was really happy. What could it be? Steve, could you maybe post this email and these pictures on the forum for me, I don't know how to do it. Thanks guys.

Maggie

The Mediterranean South France is the Provence region, it is the best zone for figs in France. Provence is where P. Baud has his nursery.

Pointy leaf tips? Black fig? ... It could be Negronne, it is frequent in Provence, and the pointy leaf tips is a peculiar characteristic of Negronne.

Anyway, Negronne is easy to identify when it fruits, obviously the figs will be the key.

See attached a picture of my Baud nursery Negronne. Although is not clearly showed in the picture, some leafs are 5 lobed and others are 3 lobed (mostly 5 lobed). You can note the pointy leafs.

I agree with Axier, that most likely it may be a Negronne/VdB fig.
On the GW/FF thread by trout72;
"What to do with Fig Trees with dead tips"
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fig/msg051949378314.html?1
The first picture shows a YOUNG Negronne/VdB fig tree with similar 3-lobed
pointed leaves.

Ciao,  I talked to Loic, the neighbor, he said he didn't know the breed of fig, but said it was common throughout france, black and a smaller type of tree, maybe it would be considered dwarf here in America. I will check jon's  variety pages since I have a few names to work with thanks to George and Axier. I will compare figs.  Thanks and anymore comments or opinions, please post. thanks steve for putting this up for me .  Ciao

Maggie hjere are 2 pictures of Edible Landscapings Violette De Bordeaux i purchase last year.

Ciao Martin,  Look at the similarities,  very very likely a Violette de Bordeaux.  Makes good sense to me especially being where it is from.  I checked the pictures Jon has on this website for the VdB and there is not a doubt that what I acquired from Loic is a VdB or a Nagronne of some sort.  See, I knew my answer would come from all you wise friends here on the forum, Gorgi, Axier and Martin.  Thanks alot. Martin, would you agree my pictures are very much like yours?  Also, the fruit of the VdB is very dark.  Is this the consensus?  My french neighbor said the fruits on this tree are very very dark and shaped longer.  Fantastic!!  Ciao Ciao grazie a tutti.  

Maggie i posted the pictures as they seem similar but i really cannot say for sure as im not as smart as you put me.
The others are Gorgi , Axier and the like are the smart ones!
I never seen or had the fruit from the VDB type but i look forward to it this or next year.
If you like it will be nice to compare the fruit from them when we eventually get them maybe?
Ciao

Thanks for your words Maggie and Dieseler! but I am only a modest fig amateur, I need much more experience to be something resembling a fig wise! ;-)

Regarding VdB, some experts think that Vdb and Negronne are the same fig, however others think that they are different varieties. For example, P. Baud considers that VdB is only a synonim of Negronne and you have to take into account that P. Baud is from the same region of your neighbor fig.

Negronne has very black brebas and not so black autumn figs with characteristic white points.

In My opinion your fig is Petite Black,Identical to The fig Parks seeds sells,and not Identical to Violette de Bordeaux,from the EL,or with another strain,of Violette de B,that I had originating from Fred Born.
H

Herman,
What is "Petite Black" ?
Is it the PetiteNegrA/PetiteNergrI that is also
very similar/(or same?) as  the Negronne/VdB but
claimed to be more (or "somewhat", as per my experiece)
dwarfish?

I also have a fred born VdB fig. Here are the pictures:

Hi George:The Petite Black,(Petite Negra,is sold By Parks seeds,only,and Is ,Similar to The Edible Landscaping you Have,But I do not Think is Identical.
I think,Petite Negra (Black),is a more dwarf specimen,and the fruits are also not Identical.
I think you had 2 of them,and one came with nematode,the other clean.
Edible Landscapping,specimen ,is more vigurous,and apt to produce more breba and main crop figs.
Vasile s

Hi,  My neighbor called his brother whom he got the fig from in France, It is called Petite Ambique Negronne. I took a picture of the name my neighbor wrote down and shared it off line with a member on this forum to just compare the writing, my friend has a thick Fr. Accent, but from what he said it matched what his brother had told and he wrote down.  It is officially a Negronne,  Petite Ambique. So there you go, my mystery of what this new addition to my fig family is solved.  I had a Negronne a few years back, but gave to someone a far away, I didn't have a chance to see the leaves or the fruit, so i couldn't compare or know what I had this time.  I didn't see Petite Ambique mentioned on this website, so I will just trust what I was told, hey, they would know their own figs and what they are called I am very sure of that, so I need not dispute anything.  Okay, ciao to everyone.  Ciao

Maggie, only one clarification, it is not "Petite Ambique", it is "Petite Aubique".
It is another synonym of Negronne.
By mistake, "Petite Ambique" is showed in the P. Baud's web site.
However, his two books and other French books show the correct spelling; "Petite Aubique".

Ciao Axier.  I just looked at what my neighbor wrote on this piece of paper, definitely my mistake,  I mistaken his U for an M.  It was harder to read, this is why I shared with people off the forum, but who are members.  Thanks for the heads up. I looked at the website you mentioned, indeed I found this fig tree listed there. I did not hear of it before. Thank you so much for helping me.  Seems the website had it listed like I thought it was spelled.  Martin, the picture I sent you of what Loic wrote,  now I can see, it is definitely a U.  my mistake but glad this is solved!!!  Ciao and thanks again Axier. 

Maggie,
here is the writing you sent!