Here is same set of 3 figs when younger, for lack of my better color description a reddish type hue to it, now August they are more type of greenish hue and the little dotting appears, eventually in time they turn dark and finally ripen. Plant did same last season with its figs. In picture you can see how the smaller younger figs are the first type of color.

Great Pics Martin!  Say how do you protect your trees?  I use bird netting and it seems to work but it's a daily battle with the Brown Thrashers and Mockingbirds.  Dennis

Hi Martin,
My VdB doesn't look anything like yours. I received my cutting from UCD. Last year it had 4 figs and currently has a nice crop, 2 are almost ripe. They are a vivid purple. Went from green to purple without any redish shading. Even the shape is different, mine being rounder. I checked out the photos on F4F and mine look the same. Any comments?

Peg

Ciao martin, yes, this is what has happened to My VdB as well. Exactly the same reddish and oblong shapes.  I thought they were going to ripen real small but as you stated, they do this color change then start to get larger.. Mine is just like yours. Guess no variety mixup with us!

I'm with Peg.  Maybe it matters on the climate?  My climate is hot, dry, and windy.  I have mixed shapes on mine.  Some look exactly like the shape of Martin's, but others are rounder.  They all have the red eye, and hints of red here and there, but they do the same thing as Peg's do.  I have one branch where none of the figlets have the red eye.  I was told that in time the eye will change.
Suzi

I just ate one of my VdeB and it was delicious. Mine matches the discription and pictures on Jon's Varieties exactly. For anything that tastes this good is a keeper for me. Thanks to Jon's list as a reference I got from USD exactly what I ordered.

Peg

Peg

Hi Dennis
i use no protection here as birds dont bother the figs.
In some of my pictures 1 can see the large water fountain right amongst my trees, the birds bath in it . Also in some pictures nearby the shed had 2 bird houses attached toward the top use to be 3 houses and there always around making babies and stuff. Those will be coming down however because each year eggs or tiny babies wind up on ground.
In short i have nothing that bothers the fruit except the occasional yellow jacket, for ants i use tanglefoot and it stops them completely.
No bettles nothing.
I consider myself lucky over the years after reading the problems others have.

I really want to grow this variety, I've heard so much about it.  I've got it listed on my UC Davis order, but it's gonna be awhile before I can taste one......

For those curious as to what my edible landscapings violet bordeaux leaf looks like here are 10 pictures.

There are 6 pictures from neighbors tree in its second full season that i propagated for him from my tree.

My VdB is Edible Landscaping origin and matches yours Martin. Jon has already weighed in that the leaf is dissimilar to what he is used to with the UCD strain. It's good to hear from Herman that the UCD FMV might be the culprit. It's a shy bearer here (but tasty). I have to let you know the Sal you sent me is the squirrel's favorite.

Scott

Martin, you almost made the title "Violet de Boudreaux", which in cajun speak, would have been on the verge of a hugely funny joke.  ;)

Oh darn i just now noticed what you mean.

I ordered our VDB from Raintree Nursery in Washington State.

It has the very long thin leaves like the Edible Landscaping variety.

I just planted it this Spring, but it's up to a solid yard tall with multiple branches and a couple dozen figs set.  It showed signs of FMV earlier in the summer but bounced back strong.

I'm going to get a digital camera so I can share pictures as well (yes I know; I'm not Amish but I might as well be).

Best wishes.

John
North Georgia Piedmont
Zone 7b

This is my VDB from James Robin. It kind of went into a transplant shock but I think it is coming out of it now. I put it in-ground in May of this year.

Martin, here are the 2 babies of your VDB you gave me cuttings.Next year will have many of those delicious figs.
Thank you !

Here is same trio as first posted , now there starting.

Picked these for Breakfast this  morning along with some other types not shown (all VdB Figs) and they were nice and chilled to eat as temp was in the 50s when picked.     ; )
Some picture of fruit still on tree near ripe i picked a few of those hanging and left a few to ripen further.
This now my favorite tasting fig above Hardy Chicago.
Again first taste when slowly eaten was of Mulberries my brother and i used to eat in Chicago across alley from grandmothers yard. That tree produced real dark fruit that stained our hands and everything we touched.
Those were some wonderful memories i dont forget.

I have what looks like the same tree here
i got from a cutting and it was labeled Negronne
but it sure looks like the same with the coulored
figs its a good producer this is this years cutting and it was
a few figs on it with any luck I will taste then\m this year still

Thanks Noss.
Marjo yes your leaves look same and fruit at that point as well.
In my opinion there all closely related and some even perhaps mislabled as well.
Mine a edible landscaping VdB i bought and came labeled as such now in 3th season.
Im sure you will enjoy them figs .