Leon and I agree that the Weeping Fig is the same variety as Aldo/Corleone.  It was easy to see that they were very similar.  But it wasn't obvious to me until this year that they were identical, and that small differences were probably due to normal variation.

This is a very nice fig - and nice figs tend to get passed around.  I think it's likely that it has other aliases. 

I got the Weeping Fig from a friend, who in turn got it from a neighbor who moved and couldn't take the tree.  The neighbor had bought the tree in New York.  Having seen a picture of a weeping tree on the Belleclare web site, I thought that it probably had come from Belleclare - but none of their descriptions mentioned a weeping habit.  Now we know - BC#31!

[IMG]http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u83/florah16/102_1645WeepingFigs10-7-11.jpg[/IMG]

So glad it has been identified.  I look forward to the day I have my own plant!

I have seen pictures of your tree on the other forum. Is the weeping habit just a product of pruning?

No, the weeping habit is a natural result of very wide branch angles, thin weak branches, and the heavy production of large, tightly clustered figs at the branch tips.  But it doesn't show up until the plant matures a bit.

[IMG]http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u83/florah16/102_1659.jpg[/IMG]

I have red that it produces very early breba and main crop, it might be good for cool climate!??

Yves,  This fig does well for us in cool New England.  But I wouldn't call it early.  It's ripening now - close to the end of our season.   I'm hoping that as my trees mature, that they will produce a little earlier.  But if your season is longer, even if cool, it should do well for you.  The flavor is milder than in warmer climates, but very pleasant even with cooler fall temperatures when a lot of figs lose quality. 

I totally agree! At least it's my opinion too.

Thank you for your answers. I remember in another post that the brebas were excellent too!

They are good, juicy and very large - sometimes in excess of 100 grams (1/4 pound).

With all the weight on the very tips of the thin branches, you can see why the branches droop.

[IMG]http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u83/florah16/MYFLOWERS20070132.jpg[/IMG]


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Mary Ann,
Here is a picture of the little plant that you sent me earlier this year.
Grows quickly.

Well after a taste test at Fignut's place I disagree slightly.

My Columbaro Nero is also very similar to these two and possibly the same. Depending on the day figs were picked they tasted different and also depending on how ripe they were. This fig in these pictures was the darkest so far and the one that ripened the best all other figs were not as dark more of a greenish violet and pulp was not as dark either and didn't taste quite as good.

Columbaro Nero From Calabria

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The weeping looks just like that one from what I remember.

Dominick I didn't get any ripe figs on my sal's corleone this season to compare so cant say for sure if they are the same or not but there seems to be a few figs that look allot alike maybe not Identical but for sure related like you said. This fig I picked was real juicy and rich had a nice fig flavour with a hint of something berry. This was picked on oct. 8th he had gotten a few days of rather warm weather wich surely helped.

Sal (Corleone) [Belleclare #31]

Aldo / Palermo Red [Leon]

GM#17 [moi/moua]  http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/FIg-ID-Please-2249851

Brooklyn Dark [Bass]

Weeping Black [fignut]

Sicilian Red [1 of the 3 ALs]

Columbaro Nero [Nelson]

... next [?]

GM#17 pics:

George I will pick a few when I get home and take some pics. Figs on the tree now are not as dark. My Columbaro Nero was purchased this year from an older italian gentleman who brought cuttings from Calabria 10 years ago. Eye turns red early on, also figs are hard to pull off the tree if not fully ripe the stem usually stays stuck on the branch is this typical on any of the other's mentioned above?

OK Here are the pics taken a few minutes ago. Tasted quite good actually.

[IMG]http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad73/nelson20vt/SAM_1387.jpg[/IMG]
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George do agree about the golf ball part certaily does resemble one. Also figs have lots of ribs specially towards the stem. When fully ripe it is much easier to pull of the branches but when its not you have to cut them off or you will leave the stem and top part of the fig on the tree a good way of knowing that they are not ready yet. Also found that once figs are ripe to perfection the ribs are not as visible very good tasting fig even if not fully ripe. My tree is around 10 years old in an olive barelll cut in half.

George I had asked him if this was sicilian and he said NOOOOOOOO I told you is from Calabria where im from lol didnt ask any other questions after that.

ooops!

Dottato is very well known in Calabria.  Could it possibly be that Nelson?

The Weeping Fig is a very good fig and it puzzled me why it wasn't more widespread - good figs get passed around.  As it turns out it has traveled - under many names.  It follows that a fig that "comes" from Calabria didn't necessarily originate there.

Another two that I'm looking at are Robin's Sicilian Black and Bella.

Clockwise from top - 2 Robin Sicilian Black, 2 Weeping Fig, 3 Aldo
[IMG]http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u83/florah16/102_0458Fromtop-TwoRobinSicilianBlackTwoWeepingFigThreeAldo9-29-10.jpg[/IMG]

Bella  
[IMG]http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u83/florah16/102_0526Bellainterior-exterior10-9-10.jpg[/IMG]

Bellas with leaf
[IMG]http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u83/florah16/102_0936Bellawithleaf9-23-11.jpg[/IMG]

I'm not saying that they are all identical - it's too early to say - but they are definitely closely related.  The question is - are the differences significant enough to declare them different varieties?  Or are they minor enough to consider them "strains" of one variety?

I tend to think taste is a major difference - case in point: Hardy Chicago and Sal's EL.  I didn't pay much attention to taste differences between Aldo, Corleone and Weeping Fig.  Figs picked from the same tree can vary, and nothing struck me as completely different.  But Dominick is very observant and I'll be paying a lot more attention.   

These photos are well appreciated and in my opinion, support the suspicion that all of these figs are of the same variety. Of course, a DNA analysis would be the definitive test but I find the characteristics of the figs and the leaves too close to think otherwise. We also need to take into consideration minor differences dependant on growing conditions and seasonal timing. Nelson, I believe your Columbaro Nero is the same as my Aldo's and well as the other's in this thread.

Fignut, your comparative of Bella, Weeping, and Aldo is a great example of  minor presentation in skin color which I have observed over the years with just my Aldo's fig. Some years, it would look very dark, almost black, and other years, it would be completely red. This season, the figs look exactly like those in your photo, mostly red/purple with yellow flame shoulders. Taste can also vary between figs from the same tree depending on maturity, rain, etc.

As far as this being a distinct Sicilian fig, good question. Many of us have been told that this is a Palermo fig but it's quite possible that it migrated to other parts of Italy much the same as it has done here, from Brooklyn to Albuquerque!

FYI, saramc, Dottato is a common white fig which is found throughout many parts of Italy.

@Leon - Thanks for the expert info.

I tasted the Bella while there and yep its an entrant in the Mystery Fig category.

George, I'd say "candidate" is the right word.  They are very similar, but I've only gotten a handful of figs.  Maybe it should be a list of possible aliases for this fig.  That way folks won't be slapping "Corleone" name tags on the whole list and getting things more confused if it turns out that some of the figs are different enough to be  separate varieties.