Good day, yesterday I picked my first Black Celeste fig and first brebra of the year!  I am upset with myself because the birds found this fig before I did.  I kept see a red cardinal making trips over to my BC.  I did not see the fig until I started watering my trees yesterday morning.  I was an hour too late and the bird got some and I got the rest!  I inspect my trees daily, several times a day and this fig was hidden behind a few big leaves.  This is my only BC and I tell you, I want another one!  I also got several Hollier figs to pick this weekend. 

My BC is about 3 years old and planted in the ground.  It has a very sweet excellent flavor.  Taste just like O'Rourke and Celeste in my yard and I can't wait till the others ripen.  I got some bird netting but wasn't going to start covering my trees until June.  Well, the time to cover it NOW!  Thanks for watching and have a good weekend.  Cheers

Congrats Dennis - glad you get to get to taste a good breba. Hope someone can chum in on whether Malta Black is the same as Black Celeste ?

Paully, I have a Malta Black and will be able to answer that question in a few days.  My Malta Black has lots of figs on it.  Looks like I may get the opportunity to taste a lot of figs this year.  I can't wait.  Will post my opinion later.  cheers,

Paully, my understanding is that black celeste is not very cold hardy (Dan and others), where as I think malta black is very cold hardy (as told to me by the owner of Belleclare nursery).  I do have a malta black but it's not in the ground yet.

Ed 

Dalton Durio said he'd never heard that Black Celeste was not cold hardy and theirs, including the little ones in small pots, sit out all winter without protection.  Maybe the concrete around that spot and heat from the road and cars have some effect upon them doing all right where they are at the nursery.  Dan has said they are not cold hardy, but was that only when they were little?

A couple of people have said they don't think MB & BC are the same variety.  It will be fun to be kept posted with Dennis' two trees for comparison.

noss

Dennis, Ed +Noss -- thanks for the info. Looking forward to Dennis yummie info. Such comparison is most pertinent as MB & BC can easily be assumed as same. I have a 3rd season MB that's giving me a few figs that I am keeping on tree to sample this year. I have read good things about MB.

Looks like BC is a 2 cropper & if it does not drop figs like Celeste, this would be a real bonus to have. Durio website cited its similar to Celeste in many ways. Hope BC is  as bountiful as Celeste. May have to consider adding this to my wish list if it is productive as I have got rid of all my Celeste because of figs dropping.

I would think it matters where you live, how hardy the BC would be.  Down here, we have to be careful that a warm spell doesn't get the sap flowing only to have a freeze come along and the tree splitting because of it.  Celeste can do that easily.

I also wondered if the MB & BC were the same.  Did Herman say he has a BC, as well?  I know he has the MB.

Paully, did the Celeste drop all of its figs?

I talked to someone at Becnel Nursery the other day about my citrus trees from them and asked about the Celestes dropping their figs and he told me to keep putting the water to them.  I told him how I have done that and it made no difference and didn't stop the dropping.  He asked me if the tree was loaded with figs and when I told him yes, he said that there's no way a Celeste could possibly support all the figs they tend to get on them.

Paully, where do you live?  I can't remember just offhand.

noss 

Lived near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Serious problem with Celeste dropping figs. Not worth the while keeping tree when I could use spot for a tasty variant that could deliver like Longue d'Aout or Dauphine. I do like the taste of Celeste but I have more reliable options to try.

Dennis,

Black Celeste is a dynamite tasting Louisiana heirloom fig. Yes by George (Gorgi), I did say DYNAMITE TASTING. Look at its VERY LONG fuse....I mean stem!! Is is a small, almost jet black fig that grows sweet and soooooooo flavorful down here in fig Paradise #2 (i.e. south Louisiana). It is very rich and sweet tasting. I rate it a perfect 10.0 on the "taste" scale. It has a closed eye. It is both rain tolerant and bug resistant. It looks NOTHING like a Celeste fig and it is likely not even closely related to a Celeste.  I have been growing Black Celeste for a few years now. You will not find much written about this cultivar other than what I am now sharing.

The first Black Celeste fig tree that I purchased had a root disease. It died and I replaced it with another one that I obtained from a fig collector friend of mine. This cultivar is not very cold hardy in my yard as each year it gets winter killed to the ground. You will see pictures of new spring growth along side a top killed tree in the attachments below. As you can see, it will produce a crop after being completely top killed. Normally it will produce 2 crops of figis.


I have a small Malta Black in my collection for later comparisons to Black Celeste. It is still in a gallon pot waiting to be planted in the ground when I get time to do so. 

Here's a  picture of a main crop Black Celeste fig. leaves, and interior pulp........Maybe someone who grows Malta Black can tell us if they look alike.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

Dan, picture(s) not showing up.

........can ya see them now??????

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

No............no pictures yet!

I can see them.......can you??

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

There they are..........Thanks Dan

I guess I need to take another trip to the eye doctor, because the glasses don't work or something else. I see no pictures.
"gene"

gene,

i don't see them.  can you guys pass that thing my way, i think i need a toke.  i'd like to see them.  ;)

I have Malta Black and Black Celeste.  MB is growing in a 10 gallon container.   I will be planting it in the ground next spring.  My MB did fruit for me last year and the figs were sweet.  It has a very good flavor.  I got my Black Celeste from Dalton late last season and no fruit.  This will be the first year obtaining fruit.  Is MB the same as Black Celeste?  At this point, I dont have ripe fruit to compare just trees.  The brebra on my BC wasn't large but it was medium.  Will the new wood figs be medium?  I don't know yet. 

My MB was small last year.  I did not cut it for cutting over winter.  Today all 3 limbs have a foot of new growth and a few figs.  So in a few weeks I should have some ripe figs to compare.  When the time comes, I will carry my MB next to my BC and take a photo for comparision.  Cheers,

ha ha ha Jason. I want to see them too. So far, rare to know a fig that is rated 10. By the way Dan any idea on BM's productivity.

Dennis,

Can you post a few photos of your Black Celeste (tree, leaves, and unripened fruit)? It would be nice to include in this . Also, where does BC rate on your Black figs list?

Dan,

I hope you can repost your photos. I would also like to see them. Given the praise and description that you and Dennis have shared, I might need to call Durio to place an order.

I don't understand this. When I repost those pictures through the edit function (4th time now) they will appear for awile and then they will just go away for some reason. So far 5 people have been able to see those pictures before they go away. Something is definitely wrong with the website's attachement posting function.....all pictures easily meet the size criteria. Several of us have had to re-post pictures several times in order for them to finally get posted.

Hi Y'all,  I see the pictures just fine.  How strange.

Dan, do you think the Black Celeste that Dalton sells is different from the one you have if he keeps all his plants-the young ones-out on the apron near the road and they don't get any freeze damage like he told me?  Or what do you think would make the difference?

He said the inside of his Black Celeste is red, which was why I wondered if it was the same as the Malta Black, initially.  I'll get to go taste some this year, but my BCs that I cut apart in early Spring both have figs coming on them, so maybe I'll get to taste those.  My experience with the BC is that it's a strong tree, a strong grower because I sawed the tree in two and potted both sections and they sat for several days, then both continued to leaf out and grow.  It's no wonder that yours keeps coming up every time it's frozen back.

noss

The photos are there now!

Yahoo, I'm not blind. Nice looking figs Dan.
"gene"