Is there a difference between Violette de Bordeaux and Violette du Bordeaux? Bought a couple VDB's from Burnt Ridge which arrived yesterday. First thing I noticed is the leaves don't look like my other VDB's. No long finger like lobes, although the leaves are still small. I also noticed the leaves have a reddish color on the back of the leaves. Never seen that. I remembered they spelled it with a DU not a DE. Any ideas? I'll add a pic tomorrow when it's light out.

https://www.burntridgenursery.com/fruitingPlants/index_product.asp?dept=19&parent=7

they have also got (negronne) in there description which indicates they have misspelt v/ DE/ b
and yes the leaves do look to differant to be a vdb.

Wow, you're right Chome. I just went and had a look at their site. Last year I bought a Violet de Bordeaux from them (not du) and now they don't even have that listed but the description does say (Negronne) beside the name.

Here's the pictures of the leaves

I would wait at least a year to make a decision. Those leaves are way too small to verify anything.

The reddish color on the back really thru me off.

I agree it would throw you off but I have gotten that with a number of my dark figs and then it can go away. I would wait and in the meantime perhaps think it may be Negronne which isn't a bad thing.

Too early to tell from those leaves, but the one on their website is definitely not VdB.

The one I bought last year from them is the real deal but I also had issues with it being highly infected and a four foot long pencil size trunk with a tiny tuft (3) of leaves at the top. Perhaps they stopped carrying that due to problems and found a new supplier?

I air layered it in half and fertilized the crap out of both pieces and though they are growing I don't think I'll get any fruit this year either. Ended up being quite the hassle for that variety. I should have gotten cuttings and I would probably be farther ahead now!

That's unfortunate. My mom and dad have been eye balling my VDB for a year. Got another cutting going but I thought I'd just spend the $25 each to get them started sooner. So much for that plan! I sure hope the Olympian I ordered with the is actually an Olympian.

Well, if it's Negronne it will be fantastic!

I noticed Wellspring on Ebay is also offering a "du". I wonder how these guys are connected.

looking at my VdB, and VdB listed in baud's book, the leaves are different. maybe there are others being called VdB than the one we have? didn't rafed collected lot of VdB sometime ago? 

Chome360,
IMO, its just a spelling error. Your tree needs time to develop leaves.
I received three fig varieties from Burnt Ridge this spring, Violetta (Bayenfeige), Stella and Olympian. They were all bare root and are currently leafing out, the leaves do match the posted pictures.

I have a WellSprings VDB TC (Tissue cultured) and the leaves currently match my VDB EL (Edible Landscaping). As the tree gets older the leaves develop with shallower sinuses.
     .

The difference between the French words "de" and "du" can be tricky and many people mis-use the words. Literally translated, both words mean "from." But it is how they are used in a sentence where the shade of difference is found. "Du" is what is called a "partitive article," it defines something of unknown quanity, as in "I want some figs for dinner!"

Thus , since VdB means "Violet (fig) from Bordeaux, "de" is the correct construction.
Not a spelling error, a grammar error.