My husband found a fig tree last year near a goodwill store. Rather, the tree branches extend way outside the peoperty wherevit was planted. It looks uncared for and its huge! It looks like its in a vacant lot but its hard to really see everything since there are a ton of branches all over the place. Anyway, I posted this info last year but i cannot find my post.

Last fall I took cuttings from this tree so I have some cuttings that rooted nicely & are growing now. Today I finally went back to check for figs & the tree has tons of figs. Most i cannot reach but i managed to get a few. I had to get on the hood of my car but i did it! A few of the really ripe figs fell off & over the wall jbust as I was pulling the branch down...darn!! I just about had a nice big, juicy, ripe fig & it fell off!!

The fig looked very pretty to me. The skin looked transparent. It was very thin. It reminds me a little of Sweet Joy, which is on my wish list. Its a vety good tasting fig. I havent had enough if avatiety of figs yet to describe the flavor i just know it was VERY good! Of course, the birds always peck the ripe ones! I will keep going back once a week to pick a few figs. I am hopeful that I will figure out who is the owner. Anyway, yourt houghts are appreciated.

Great find,nice pics. Thanks for sharing.

Beautiful fig meg, great find.

Wonder if it needs the wasp

Leaf pics would be nice. Looks like sweet joy too me.

Really nice fig!

Certainly looks worth growing, Meg. Nice find, I wonder if it is a common.

Does it look like it could have been planted? I believe Armando found a fig really similar.

Smyfigs: where do you live to find such great figs growing randomly?

All I can find around town are Brown Turkeys.

Looks fantastic. I love the exterior color, Meg.

Great find!  Those are some good looking figs, I really like the coloring.

What a great looking fig!
You need to find out where the original immigrants came from that brought these figs to your area.

Nice looking fig and great find! Hopefully you can find out who owns the tree and maybe the story behind it.

Thanks, All! I havent been able to come on the forum today just a crazy busy day.

I dont know if its common or if it needs the wasp. I hope to go back to this tree in the fall to get cuttings. This thing is huge! And I think either the city or someone chops off the branches that hang over onto the easement/alleyway.

It does look like it was planted. However, I cant see exactly where. Hard to describe but on one side it looks like an empty lot where an old camper sits. There is a slab so maybe a house was torn down?

On the other side is a house that looks run down a bit and I can see over the barbed wired wall only enough to see a huge trunk but not enough to see if the trunk is on one side or the other. But it does look planted. I need to go around to see if i can see the tree from the street side of the house. I will give it a try next week.

I live in a college town. We have something like six colleges & universities within the city. There are tons of planted fig trees around here. what I did last fall is I just drove around looking for trees. I got permission from a church & got cuttings from a tree that is aparently a caprifig.

I took cuttings from a good number of large fig trees without knowing what to expect. All of the trees with the exception of the church, are unknown to people nearby. This Goodwill fig is a really a beautiful fig that is excellent tasting. I still have three other trees to go check back on including the tree that had ripe figs in January which was totally odd! That one is near some restaurants & in an area that is pretty old so i cant wait to go check it out soon.

Yesterday i tried to upload leaf pics but just failed. Finally I cropped the pics enough to be able to upload them.

I will keep you all posted!

[QUOTE=brianm]Does it look like it could have been planted? I believe Armando found a fig really similar.[/QUOTE]

Brian, did he post pucs? I would like to compare the two. I wonder wher Armando lives?

[QUOTE=rmulhero]Nice looking fig and great find! Hopefully you can find out who owns the tree and maybe the story behind it.[/QUOTE]

Yes, rmulhero, i will be working on getting info on these. Its only until the last two weeks that figs around my area have started to ripen...or at least its when i started noticing. So yes, I have waited since last September to see & taste each of the tree's fruit....waiting is over :-)

[QUOTE=pino]What a great looking fig!
You need to find out where the original immigrants came from that brought these figs to your area.[/QUOTE]

Yes, Pino!! This is really exciting now!!

[QUOTE=figpig_66]Leaf pics would be nice. Looks like sweet joy too me. [/QUOTE]

Yes, Richie, I thought so except that comparing pictures of each shows that Sweet Joy is more round & the inside is different but it does look similar. I dont know about the leaves.

yummy

[QUOTE=akrouus]yummy[/QUOTE]

Yes!!!

I haven't noticed this thread before.

What a great find, Meg. The figs look beautiful and judging by the juicy interior they should be very good tasting.

Good luck finding more information on it.

[QUOTE=Jsacadura]I haven't noticed this thread before.

What a great find, Meg. The figs look beautiful and judging by the juicy interior they should be very good tasting.

Good luck finding more information on it.

[/QUOTE]

Thanks, Jsacadura. Yes, I really am amazed at this beautiful fig.  The taste is unbelievably good!  By the way, it was my husband who discovered it last fall and then sent me to go look at it.  I am hopeful to get more details as to the owner and origin of the tree.

Best,
Meg

Beautiful figs!  If I saw a fig splat on the ground I'd still eat everything that didn't directly touch the ground.  The ones that fall off on their own are the best.  :)

[QUOTE=rcantor]Beautiful figs!  If I saw a fig splat on the ground I'd still eat everything that didn't directly touch the ground.  The ones that fall off on their own are the best.  :)[/QUOTE]

Lol...believe me, I have looked at ALL of those on the ground! Unfortunately, its an easement/driveway into the back of the Goodwill store so most are totally smeared :-/. The other thing that is hard is to see how huge this tree is and to realize that there are dozens of ready to eat figs way up top but no way to pick them...uh!

Yowza Meg. Those are some beautiful Figs. The color is amazing! And there is nothing so vexing in my book, as seeing a ripe Fig you can't reach! Best of luck, Jodi

Gorgeous green color and delicious looking interiors. Thanks for the pics and updates.

Lol...yes, isnt that true?! Thx, Jodi!

Thx Figinfever

they look really tasty

It is a hybrid of Burjasotte Gris,and in the best case it could be the real thing.
Nice find

[QUOTE=Smyfigs] Lol...believe me, I have looked at ALL of those on the ground! Unfortunately, its an easement/driveway into the back of the Goodwill store so most are totally smeared :-/. The other thing that is hard is to see how huge this tree is and to realize that there are dozens of ready to eat figs way up top but no way to pick them...uh![/QUOTE]

Put a clean tarp down and shake that tree!  Or get an extension pole and rig up an apparatus with 2 razor blades forming a cutting V with a basket below.  Cut the stems and they fall in the basket.  Once I did that from a kayak although most of the time it was on land.

Meg,

This could be an hypothetical relative of your 'Goodwill' fig.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lampo2012/sets/72157635622860245/

I have a few more pictures but cannot find them .. they will show up soon


Francisco
Portugal

[QUOTE=rcantor]

Put a clean tarp down and shake that tree!  Or get an extension pole and rig up an apparatus with 2 razor blades forming a cutting V with a basket below.  Cut the stems and they fall in the basket.  Once I did that from a kayak although most of the time it was on land.

[/QUOTE]

You know, Rob, I have been wondering about inveting a contraption that could do just that!! Its heart-wrenching to see so many figs up top!

[QUOTE=lampo]Meg,

This could be an hypothetical relative of your 'Goodwill' fig.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lampo2012/sets/72157635622860245/

I have a few more pictures but cannot find them .. they will show up soon


Francisco
Portugal[/QUOTE]

Very interesting, Francisco. They sure look very similar. Do you know where the Calverio originated?

I will ty to make atrip there during the week...maybe I can talk with someone who can give me info.

[QUOTE=Dave]they look really tasty[/QUOTE]

Oh my gosh, Dave, this one is unbelievable! I really had no expectations when i pulled down the first fig but after my first bite, i was scrambling to get more. Rob was tight when he said he would ook on the ground...you should have seen what I looked like up on top of the hood of my car reaching for branches..lol

[QUOTE=Herman2]It is a hybrid of Burjasotte Gris,and in the best case it could be the real thing.
Nice find

[/QUOTE]

Herman, interesting observation. Whatever it is...it is one excellent fig!! Heres the sad part, this tree has been chopped off to keep branches from hanging over the wall so its odd shaped and hard to reach higher figs. The original tree really needs pruning. I will volunteer for the job once i find the owner! Thats for sure!

[QUOTE=Smyfigs] Very interesting, Francisco. They sure look very similar. Do you know where the Calverio originated? I will ty to make atrip there during the week...maybe I can talk with someone who can give me info.[/QUOTE]

Meg,  answering to your question
The correct name of this fig is Cavaleiro
It is an old Portuguese variety, cultivated in the south of Portugal.

The oldest description to my knowledge (there may be others) is in this hand written report by pomologist Manuel Bivar Weinholtz in 1883 -  http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/3222

it is written in Portuguese .

Francisco

Meg,

Here's the page of the dissertation (handwritten) of Manuel Bivar Weinholtz that speaks about Cavaleiro but this 133 year old description doesn't give much information about it.
(its written in an archaic Portuguese and the name is still spelled with 2 lls - Cavalleiro - that we don't use anymore)

 
(possible translation)

Cavaleiro - Fig with a yellowish green skin. Its a good fig to eat fresh or for drying. Red pulp with a sweet flavor.

It's quite curious to find these ancient descriptions of our national figs and it only shows what has been lost over the years. If there weren't some fig enthusiasts like Francisco, to collect and preserve some of these wonderful varieties they would now be extinct.

Francisco, so first...wow! To see a hand-written thesis from 1888 is amazing! The writing is so perfect. And, it's 100 pages to boot! Second, from what little I could read, the Cavaleiro is beautifully described as having a "variant color." I could read that it came by way of Asia Minor or what is now present day Turkey. But somewhere in the first few pages I also read "Greece." I am not clear on some words but if i print it, i may be able to better interpret. Either way, fascinating read. And, how fun to do the research for my Goodwill fig. Im not holding my breath but one never knows, right? But, i would be totally amazed if it were :-D!

[QUOTE=Jsacadura]Meg,

Here's the page of the dissertation (handwritten) of Manuel Bivar Weinholtz that speaks about Cavaleiro but this 133 year old description doesn't give much information about it.
(its written in an archaic Portuguese and the name is still spelled with 2 lls - Cavalleiro - that we don't use anymore)


(possible translation)

Cavaleiro - Fig with a yellowish green skin. Its a good fig to eat fresh or for drying. Red pulp with a sweet flavor.

It's quite curious to find these ancient descriptions of our national figs and it only shows what has been lost over the years. If there weren't some fig enthusiasts like Francisco, to collect and preserve some of these wonderful varieties they would now be extinct.


[/QUOTE]

Thank you, Jsacadura!  I read only the first few pages but I don't know Portuguese so I could only make out some of the words.  And I do agree with you in that Francisco's work has been a benefit to all of us in a big way!

Meg,
you found a Bronze fig, they tend to be very unique flavored with no acidity.
Most probably original, from a bird dropping. Cherish your find, it's looks very delicious.
Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Meg, Congratulations on this wonderful find. The colors alone tell me that you have a unique variety there.
Should be interesting to know if it needs the wasp or not.

Thanks, Fig Whisperer. We will see!

Sas, you & Francisco seem to have the same opinion!

By the way, the other night I went to both houses that are closest in proximity to the tree. One house, although the door was open & a dog was barking behind the screen door, no one came even after a good number of knocks. I knocked on the second house for a while but no answer. I will keep going back to see if I can talk with someone.

Smyfigs:  Maybe you could leave a note and explain why you'd like to talk to them.  Some folks will not answer the door to strangers.

[QUOTE=VeryNew2Figs]Smyfigs:  Maybe you could leave a note and explain why you'd like to talk to them.  Some folks will not answer the door to strangers.[/QUOTE]

Yes, I thought about doing leaving a note but this tree is only a few miles distance & I can go back this coming weekend. also, the front door was open (the screen door was the sturdy type) & the dog was barking like crazy, I woukd think that people woukd not leave their door open if they dont want to talk with strangers but who knows.

Today, i finally could take time to extract the seeds from the three Goodwill figs i saved from last week. I really was surprised to see that the figs looked pretty solid not mushy. When I cut them open, the flesh looked very nice almost paste-like. I really wanted to eat them but i want to see if the seeds are pollinated...so I had to hold myself back from just popping them in my mouth.

I am uploadibg a few pics. Sorry for the blur. I will check the seeds tomorrow after being in water overnight..

FINALLY! Put 'em in a pot, brought 'em to work and re-named 'em - the Fresno Goodwill fig (because who knows how many other fig trees in the world are growing next to a Goodwill Store. . . lol)

PROMISE to get some grafting tape on those ends REAL soon! 
Thanks, Smyfigs!!!  

Please tell us if seeds were pollinated ASAP/?

Jim,  glad to see the Goodwill cuttings are on their way! :-D  And, I am in Fullerton not Fresno...lol

Herman 2, yes, sorry for the delay.  Almost all of the seeds from three figs sunk to the bottom.  Honestly, I am not sure what that really means...I mean, I understand that it means they are pollinated.  However, I don't know if that means it requires the wasp.  Please, all information you can share with me about this is welcomed.

Last night I drove to the Goodwill fig to see if there are any figs left. I was surprised (again) to see that more of the overhanging branches were chopped off. I mentioned before that this tree over hangs into the alleyway where apparently trucks drive to make deliveries to some of the stores so I imagine its either the trucks hitting branches or someone chops them. I coukd see only two figs but they were pretty high. A third fig was dry & still on the brach. As i contemplated the figs, a guy came out of a store's back door. He told me therre are others who come pick figs too & that last week he had to help "a blond lady who was practically falling over the wall trying to cut figs." Lol...these figs are good!

In talking with this guy i asked if he knew whose property that was and he said he has been trying to find out too because he is interested in the camper that is parked there, which does not look too old yet not ysed much. There is also a boat and the property has a locked gate. So i didnt get info yet but i will try giving the nearby business a call because somehow it seems the lot could possibly belong to the owner of this business. I will update more on this!

So now at the end of our conversation this guy goes inside & comes back out with a ladder for me to use :-D! I actually got THREE fresh, ripe figs PLUS the dry one!

Something is so good about this fig! After I ate the three ripe ones, i cut open the dry one. My under cabinet light does not do these figs justice...sorry! The color of the dry fig was really pretty. It was a deep, jammy and almost purple color. Yup, I ate it and it was excellent too! I am still really impressed with this fig!

Below are the pictures from last night's "harvest." Please excuse the blur if any. I have to trim all photos because of the upload limit and I am using my phone not at a laptop. Enjoy!

Thank you Meg for sharing these wonderful pictures
It has to be a great fig
Congratulations

Francisco
Portugal

[QUOTE=lampo]Thank you Meg for sharing these wonderful pictures
It has to be a great fig
Congratulations

Francisco
Portugal[/QUOTE]


Thanks, Francisco. It definately has caught my interest & my taste buds :-)!