I know that this is not exactly a rare variety and I have seen it carried by some online nurseries.

I would like to acquire a tree from authentic source for this variety;
so I am asking for suggestions from an experienced Fig collector who is familiar with these varieties.   (I am worried that sometimes variety names may be used some what loosely, so I want to make sure I am buying a correctly labeled VioleteDB/Negronne, true to its name.

Thanks in advance for the suggestions.

I got my VdB cuttings from the UCD. As far as I can tell, they were correctly labeled. Those were not trees but the cuttings grew nicely and I had little figs the same season that tasted quite good (many suggest to knock them down though).

(Edit) I got a Petite Negri from the Raintree Nursery and it was true to its name also (very similar if not the same as a VdB). They ship very nice trees.

MJB...

As an alternative source, Wellspring Gardens is listing tissue-cultured, "Violette de Bordeaux" @ $4.95 each.  Within a few seasons, you will have "VdB" that bears figs, and the tree(s) will also be virus-free.  You could spend just as much time rooting, and then nurturing cuttings -(which may carry infections)- as you would raising small, t-c trees....which will already have roots.  T-C trees also grow very quickly.  So could cuttings...but cuttings can also strike roots, crash, and then quickly fail. 

Many reputable nurseries sell fig trees, and sometimes trees get mislabeled.  It happens.  I hope you find a reliable source, either commercial, or, private.  Good luck.


Frank

Joe,
Did get any figs on it yet?

No figs have formed yet, nor would you expect them to appear, I think, in the first growing season of a TC plant. Although, I have read here that this has happened to others - no such luck for me, however.  But, since I pinched the top off a few days ago, the nascent buds that are present under the leaf stems have begun to swell - they are more than likely new leaves, but they could be figlets ( if they are, they, too, will get pinched off, I want this tree to concentrate on growth and strength this year!)

Joe

Australia and New Zealand have very strict import rules for plant material,
and are very proactive with issuing fines, large ones too.

Joey Athens-

I could not be happier about buying tissue-cultured fig trees.  You simply can't beat the prices.  So, we have to wait a few years for figs, but you have to wait for cuttings to grow and produce figs also.  It's not a big deal for me, and I'm willing to wait because I will eventually have good figs, and disease-free, healthy, trees.  That's the main reason why I started my new collection with buying tissue-cultured trees...no disease to deal with.

So, I now have "Olympian" trees that are well over 2 ft. tall, and I just pinched off the figlets.  My FMV-free "Black Mission" trees will bear next season.    I ordered these trees late in the late spring, and still in spite of all the cool spring weather, the vigorous growth has been surprising.  What could be better than this?  I'll bet that next season, these trees will really take off, and become productive.

Good luck with your trees. 


Frank

That is correct,
no diseases on the plant you are going to receive from the TC lab potentially.

Does not prevent the tree from acquiring diseases once in your possession.

Quite true....but in NYC and the surrounding cool-climate areas...no fig mites to transmit FMV...so, without accidental cross-contamination...t-c trees will probably remain uninfected, and, virus-free.  That makes me happy.


Frank

I bought several varieties from Wellspring early this year. They were tiny, but they were also inexpensive and are growing and appear healthy. I still wonder if they will be true to their varietal name. Anyone know? Or have they been around long enough to really tell?
-Sherry

I have two TC plants from WellSprings, a Hardy Chicago and Strawberry Verte. The HC is true to name, three years old, and will give me 3-4 dozen figs this year, even after freezing to the ground last winter. The SV is in its first year so no figs, but it has grown like crazy every since I put it outside. It is 2ft tall and almost that big in diameter since I have been pinching it all along.

I got Black Italian and Lattarula from Wellspring a couple months ago. They're small but healthy and growing well. The leaves look correct so far for both, and I was excited to see pink leaf axils on my Black Italian. Hoping for fruit next year.

Looks good but how old is it?

Joe-

Are you sure that's a fig tree?  Looks like something that sprouted from a handful of magic beans!  Good God!  Congrats!  I'd say you got yourself a "patio tree" in the works.  When that thing finally settles down, branches and figs will start to sprout...probably this, or, next season.


Actually, I'm hoping for similar growth for all five of my t-c "Olympian" and "Black Mission" trees, so that I can weave a 5-stem braided trunk for both varieties.

Thanks for posting the photo and information.  Continued good luck.


Frank

Never heard of Wellspring before.

Got VdB and Olympian plants.  Can anyone post a pic as an example of what they received from Wellspring?

Seems like a helluva deal.

Thanks.