it seems any small to medium fig that does well in south and does not have any specific name attached to it is called Celeste. outside color can be varying from reddish to dark violet to black, sometimes maybe brown. the pulp can be red to pink. all are very sweet, and some will not hold on to the figs. 

i'm sure i'm wrong. but that's the impression i get.

i just made very happy trade for two different Celeste that won't drop the figs. unlike other named figs, it seems there are ton of Celeste. 

any better definition as to what Celeste is? 

Around here it's anything that is not a brown turkey

Mine has never dropped it's figs....they do all seem to have a certain shape to them, the leaves can be different... I think because there was some much breeding done with them that there are a lot of different types..

Pete,
The cultivar has been around for a long time and as it has spread there has been a lot of mutation from the original. Also LSU had done some breeding which further increased the variety of cultivars in circulation.

You will see variation in Mission figs also, due to their time in circulation and due to the actual breeding occuring in areas where the Fig Wasps are able to survive and pollinate cultivars.

pete, 

that's true but if a named variety is to remain true to its form, the propagation should be done through cuttings/cloning so the characteristic of the tree should remain more or less same as the mother tree. 

if the tree has been pollinated and viable seed was taken, that really shouldn't be "Celeste". the resulting tree is a new strain, different in genetic make up from the mother tree. 

but it seems as if someone just calls a fig Celeste if it does well in south, very sweet, sort of pyriform to round, small to medium, can be different outside color, can be different pulp color, can be different leaf shape.. i'm not sure about you, but that seems to put in lot of different figs into one same name. 

Pete, get yourself a Celete from Mr Robin. You will be surprised.

Pete,
You can have mutations on individual limbs of the same tree... Taking cuttings doesn't actually guarantee an actual duplicate of the original, there may be small variations. The improved Celeste that I purchased from Almost Eden is an example of a very good standard Celeste, and doesn't drop figs.

Kadota is a well known example of a mutation that has become a cultivar.

There are many fig cultivars that are called Brown Turkey that are not, and I'm sure the same is occurring with Celeste. To my eyes the only other cultivar that is very close and can be confused with Celeste (and often is) is Southern Brown Turkey.

A highly underrated fig.  Forget the hype of new varieties and make sure you have this one!

Some confusion for people is thinking Improved Celeste, Golden Celeste and Giant Celeste are types of Celeste.  They are all crosses and are only 1/2 Celeste. 

Don't know if this helps as there are many heirloom strains throughout Eastern/Southern US that vary widely, but my standard Celeste (bottom left below) is smallish, has a teardrop shape with neck, and meat is pink but has a honey tone to it from the rich syrup (not the clear bright pink you might find on other varieties). It's hard to describe skin color, because it is very similar to BT and Brunswick, although it seems Celeste is more solid (or rather it does't have noticeable striping like some BTs.) I would say the the taste of a good Celeste in unique: a very rich honey taste. Mine however is an inconsistent producer year to year and may find its way into the dumpster one day.  

Hi,
I'm happy to see that even in America keeping a strain properly labelled is almost impossible.
I though that only guys in the Mediterranean coasts were able to do that.
By the way, after some tries, I think I'll never ask someone in the Mediterranean coast what his fig tree is, because they just don't care as long as it produces fruits.
If it does not produce, saw is on its way, unless the tree can provide some shading or is somewhere where it does not disturb anyone...
As for celeste, you should perhaps start with numbers after the name...
I don't have celeste - it seams to only have spread on your side of the Atlantic ocean .
I can't find it in France in the nurseries .

Like Gloria's Celeste, mine does not drop fruit.  Fruit looks a lot like recomer20's pictures but color is a more intense red and uniform from neck to eye.  If there is a color variation, fruit will have a small amount of green on the shoulder where it meets the stem. Both of my trees have multiple leaf types with leaves becoming more defined as the tree matures. What does seem a bit odd to me as a newbie, is that leaf shape on daughter plants is that of the branch from which the clipping was taken or a ground layer done.  Have always assumed that differences in leaf shape was associated with the maturity of the plant. If that was true, wouldn't all daughter plants start out with less defined leaves and develop the more complex shape as they matured as did the mother tree?