A popular fig all over Portugal. Some say it's a honey fig.
As far as I am concerned it is full of flavor, very sweet and one of the best figs to dry.
Pollination makes this fig exceptionally crunchy, bigger and syrupy
If the weather keeps warm , with light sea breezes early morning, soon there will be plenty of Pingo de Mel figs


 
The fruit sporting a particularly nice Shamrock green with white speckles is telling us that it made good use of fig pollen from a caprifig (Profichi) conveyed by the tiny wasp.


 
 
 
 
Francisco
Portugal

Wow, Francisco, that fig produces like a Papaya! I've never seen clusters of figs like that. Beautiful.

Beautiful pics!

Beautiful fruit. My Napolitana fruit but not the leaves looks similar. I'm hoping that the fruit ripens.

Makes me want to give this variant some consideration..

Thank you All for comments.
On some years it shows an appreciable number of brebas.. but not this season.

@Gary
Yes,as a rule it's always very prolific. On this particular tree  pollination was involuntarily practiced
may be just from  a few wasps promenading in the thin air did that little favor
Did not say but this is a Common fig  - although some call it an edible Caprifig -
Apparently in the past some breeders have used pollen from its breba ripen stamens as male parentage on a few 'crossings' .

@pana13
The fig you recently looked for identification, could well be a Pingo de Mel, given the similarities.
It would make sense,  some  remote ancestor to have brought a few sticks as a souvenir.

@paully
Am confident that it is already there but on the other coast...(it's far!) but at reach.

Francisco
Portugal

Whau ! Francisco, a cluster of figs, Thanks for that one, Mine is a newly rooted cutting, so I will have to wait a couple of years for crop (And some decades of Global Warming, before the fig wasp settles here ;))

[QUOTE=fighugger]Whau ! Francisco, a cluster of figs, Thanks for that one, Mine is a newly rooted cutting, so I will have to wait a couple of years for crop (And some decades of Global Warming, before the fig wasp settles here ;))

[/QUOTE]

Michael,
You can always try and create microclimates on your yard for this demanding figs growing in your environment.

Francisco

           
These are mine from last season. Had to thin due to our short growing season. Sorry about the low quality pics, these are screenshots from a video I took last season. 

Great clusters of figs, Francisco. Your Pingo de Mel has much more density of figs than I normally see over here.

Even my strain of Moscatel Branco can't produce like that.
 

One tree of Pingo de Mel from a nearby neighbor:



This old Moscatel Branco strain i found in the abandoned piece of land (that has greener skin than mine) is a bit more prolific but yours are simply amazing.

 

Out of curiosity, i may ask you for some cuttings in the winter to see if they maintain that productivity over here.

Vinny,

Thank you very much for sharing these wonderful pictures of your honey figs.
Too bad for rather short summers .. you may try the old techniques of trimming leaves and/or the oil drop on the eye.. ?

Jaime,
Thank you for pictures and comments.
As for cuttings from this same tree, no problem.. you just have to tell me - how many you need
BTW.. will add on a dozen scions of that black 'ultra prolific' Caprifig recently discovered and already proven on the popular Smyrnas and Lampeira Preta. Don't let anybody spray your figs!
That's just cheap marketing 'techniques'  in preparation for the big $$$$$$ !
The Sbahyi, Rey and Sari Zbk you send me are great ! Already showing very strong/thick green growth and ... figs!
Thank you very much!

-----------------

This Pingo de Mel growing very near the cliffs of the west coast on the southern district, has lost practically all its leaves, from the action of the fresh sea breezes blowing in force for long periods..
So it's showing its typical heavy crop of delicious fruit

 

Here a few ripe Pingo de Mel...

 
 
 
 
 
Francisco
Portugal

Hi Jaime,
You may want to go to the praia ... in Figueira da Foz ... Just saying ... You can't miss the tree there.
I have two trees growing from my holidays 2 years ago.
To my big surprise, the breba crop on this small tree is of 10 figs, which is impressive. I was surprised how low on the tree the brebas popped out.
I'll have to find pics of mine.

[QUOTE=lampo]Vinny,

Thank you very much for sharing these wonderful pictures of your honey figs.
Too bad for rather short summers .. you may try the old techniques of trimming leaves and/or the oil drop on the eye.. ?

Jaime,
Thank you for pictures and comments.
As for cuttings from this same tree, no problem.. you just have to tell me - how many you need
BTW.. will add on a dozen scions of that black 'ultra prolific' Caprifig recently discovered and already proven on the popular Smyrnas and Lampeira Preta. Don't let anybody spray your figs!
That's just cheap marketing 'techniques'  in preparation for the big $$$$$$ !
The Sbahyi, Rey and Sari Zbk you send me are great ! Already showing very strong/thick green growth and ... figs!
Thank you very much!

-----------------

This Pingo de Mel growing very near the cliffs of the west coast on the southern district, has lost practically all its leaves, from the action of the fresh sea breezes blowing in force for long periods..
So it's showing its typical heavy crop of delicious fruit

 

Here a few ripe Pingo de Mel...

 
 
 
 
 
Francisco
Portugal[/QUOTE]
Thanks Francisco , I might try that oil meathod. This season my trees are way ahead with the help of a greenhouse .I managed to root the pingo de Mel you send me and the others . Will compare with mine . Leaves of pingo de Mel looks similar to Bauds Sucre Verte .
Cheers

jdsfrance,

Thanks for the tip. If i am near Figueira da Foz i will check that tree.

But finding trees of Pingo de Mel in Portugal is not difficult. It's the most popular cultivar we have. It's the one every nursery sells. If you see a young tree in a backyard of a home it's probably a Pingo de Mel.

If you ask a Portuguese to name a fig cultivar he will say Pingo de Mel. If you ask him to name another one probably more than 75% of the population won't have an answer.

This variety even made many farmers uproot their old and wonderful fig varieties in favor of this "new kid on the block" many years ago, that promised to be simpler to grow and provide a greater return to the farmer. In many cases it didn't and in the process many varieties were probably lost forever.

Don't get me wrong. It's a wonderful fig and has several interesting strains but it probably was the cause for some loss of diversity regarding fig cultivars in Portugal.

Francisco that looks amazing. Would be nice if the tree I have that I don't know what it is would be this one. If mine is of this tree would it have to be pollinated?

[QUOTE=Pana13]Francisco that looks amazing. Would be nice if the tree I have that I don't know what it is would be this one. If mine is of this tree would it have to be pollinated? [/QUOTE]

Telly,

Fruit and leaves from your tree seem to match this variety (Pingo de Mel)
Responding to your specific question about pollination , let me clarify that it will not be required at all. This behaves as a Common fig

What happens in my district is that the availability of caprifigs determines that practically all common and Smyrna types always get the benefits of free pollination .

Francisco
Portugal

Francisco your tree is very productive and the fruit looks delicious!

[QUOTE=FrozenJoe]Francisco your tree is very productive and the fruit looks delicious![/QUOTE]

Thank you Joe for commenting.
Aim sure, ..this fig would love to grow in your environment and be a 'star' on one of your clips!
Happy figging

Francisco
Portugal

Hi all,
Who knows how cold hardy Pingo del Miel is?
Who has cuttings to sell or exchange in Europe?
Is it common fig or San Pedro type?

[QUOTE=rofig]Hi all, Who knows how cold hardy Pingo del Miel is? Who has cuttings to sell or exchange in Europe? Is it common fig or San Pedro type?[/QUOTE]

rofig
Pingo de Mel is not a cold hardy fig
It's a Common type.

Francisco
Portugal

So about three years ago I bought a small "white fig" off an older Portuguese lady. She said she smuggled its mothers cutting into America many many moons ago... I had no idea of the name. I called it the Portuguese white. It's got large shinny leaves and the figs grow in crazy clusters. ( I thought it was due to maybe over fertilizing or my climate...?) I live in Rhode Island. I got it in a sip container and bring it in for the winter. But after seeing these pics I'm convinced! Here's some pics

Thank you for details, Francisco!
If it is not cold hardy, it is no good for me ....

[QUOTE=rofig]Thank you for details, Francisco! If it is not cold hardy, it is no good for me ....[/QUOTE]

After responding to your question checked on a number of nurseries in the net and they indicate that this category of figs may grow on zones 6 to 10 (?)
You know, nurseries always quote wide zone areas so everybody is happy and buys!

However, If you decide to try, I  wouldn't mind to trade a few sticks
( I am in between sort of,  zones - 10 / 11 -)

Francisco
Portugal

Francisco, I am sure you are right, that Pingo de Mel has to have a good microclimate here. But any relatively early brebacropper with heavy loads of figs like that, Í will have to test in my climate. Because of my Island climate I don't have a lot of frost, but growing seasons are cool, long and with lots of sunshine. Of cause I will keep it in a greenhouse untill I know how it does here. Later I can test it on a wall or in a protected spot in the open. Thanks for your advice.

Michael,

The strains of Pingo de Mel we have in my zone (9a-9b) are all in the ground and can resist some cold.
Our coldest winters in the last years have registered -7ºC and there was not a hint of cold damage. so i believe they can resist winters a bit colder than that.

But keep in mind they are not cultivated because of the Brebas (they rarely give many and they usually drop) but for the excellent main crop figs. Beware that, according to the strain, the earliest maturation date of the main crop can go from early August to early September for some.
What you see in the photos above are all main crop figs.

Hey Francisco are you the one selling fig cuttings on ebay fro Portugal?

[QUOTE=fighugger]Francisco, I am sure you are right, that Pingo de Mel has to have a good microclimate here. But any relatively early brebacropper with heavy loads of figs like that, Í will have to test in my climate. Because of my Island climate I don't have a lot of frost, but growing seasons are cool, long and with lots of sunshine. Of cause I will keep it in a greenhouse untill I know how it does here. Later I can test it on a wall or in a protected spot in the open. Thanks for your advice.[/QUOTE]

OK Michael
Let's keep talking and by the right time , remember me so we may do something about it including some additional acorns !!.

Francisco
Portugal

[QUOTE=Hot_Stuff]Hey Francisco are you the one selling fig cuttings on ebay fro Portugal?[/QUOTE]

Hello Hot_Stuff,

No, no, I am not advertising and/or selling anyting on ebay, fig cuttings included.

Francisco
Portugal

Thanks for input  Francisco and Jaime, but there is no reason to test main croppers in my garden....only the good brebaproducers. So if Pingo de Mel is only main crop, it will never mature here. I guess I have misunderstood, (or there are several strains of Pingo de Mel).

But I would love to test any prolific breba-varieties you might have access to.........The Petrelli you showed Jaime, sounds promising. I actually tried to root one this spring, but it failed for me. Most of my italian origin cuttings failed for some reason.

Francisco, I just clipped my Prunus lusitanica windbreak hedge today - it is approaching two meters. Once I get my Collection of Quercus ilex up to a few meters height, my microclimate will be as good as possible, here on our Little Island. But still I will not have the sun and heat accumulation of the Algarve...........so most portugese figs will never mature here.

Michael,

I'm not in Algarve. I'm in the center of Portugal near the Atlantic Ocean and my summers are far from hot.

My main crops mature later than Francisco and i have problems with some that start to mature in September/October and are ruined by rain in most years.

 

Medium temperatures around 14ºC