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Encanto Farms Nursery > Topics > A neglected fig tree In Texas
 
 


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Sas

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 
    I was driving in North Austin, TX and spotted this neglected fig tree on the side of the road in North Austin. I suspect that it might be a celeste as the fruit looks very close to a celeste fruit.
20150614 RR fig4.JPG

20150614 RR fig5.JPG 
20150614 RR fig2.JPG 
20150614 RR fig3.JPG 


 

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Sas from North Austin TX Zone 8B
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DesertDance

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
If I was a bird, I'd dwell in that tree~  Very nice!

Suzi
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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
Wow very nice Sas. Looks like there's a yellow looking fig there on the lower left of one pic. It's probably starting to swell and turn color. Great find and thanks for sharing.
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ChrisK
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pitangadiego

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
Don't look like Celeste leaves.
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DonCentralTexas

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
That tree obviously survived the drought we had for 3 years.  Seeing several fig trees that looked healthy, like this one does during the middle of the drought when my fruit trees were dying or stressed badly is what made me think about adding figs in the first place.

Looks pretty good to me, I would be interested in what it tastes like when it's ripe.  Keep us updated, Thanks.
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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
Alma maybe?
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ChrisK
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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
It sure looks healthy for being neglected, lol
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Ryan Zone 9a SeLa, wish list:   
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Posted Reply with quote  #8 
If the fence is 8' then that tree is 16'+.

Super nice! 
greenbud

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 
Quite impressive!  How many cuttings did you get?
Sas

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Posted Reply with quote  #10 
I'd have to go back and check on those figs when they start to ripen and see how they look. Despite, this tree being outside the fence, I would try and seek permission from someone before I touch anything.
Perhaps when the figs get larger we might be able to identify it better. The major varieties being sold here in Texas by the large retailers are  Celeste ( I identified two different stains of Celeste being sold one by Lowe's and one by Home Depot ) , Brown Turkey, Kadota , Black Mission, Texas Ever bearing and magnolia. I'll post some better pictures soon.
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Sas from North Austin TX Zone 8B
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jdsfrance

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Posted Reply with quote  #11 
Hi,
Whatever it is ... It's doing fine !
Now, the question is : Are the figs edible ?
I would keep an eye on the ripening of the figs and try some when ripe.
With all that branches, I don't think that one would care about one missing stem.
IMO, you'd better not ask and take when you're sure that it is worth having - just don't take the whole tree...
On such a big tree, I'd rather have someone take one stem, than having someone picking the figs, before I would, during the whole season...
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Posted Reply with quote  #12 
Another "neglected" tree or the Celeste that eats houses.  It is in Longview Texas.

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Posted Reply with quote  #13 
Wow. I wish my pampered figs looked half as nice as these neglected plants.
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Posted Reply with quote  #14 
Man that thing is huge. I wonder how many years it took to get that big. Crazy considering no one fertilizes it.
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noss

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Posted Reply with quote  #15 
Knowing Celestes, it wouldn't take one that long to get very large.  She is shading her own roots and conserving water for herself.

As far as I can see, this tree has Celeste leaves like mine.  I couldn't see a larger photo of the second tree.

It will be interesting to see what the figs look like from this tree and I hope you'll be able to show us, soon.

noss
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Sas

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Posted Reply with quote  #16 
I was unable to go back last Aug to check the fruit on my discovered tree.
I went by today and was surprised. I took pictures of the leaves. All the suckers are new, I'm not sure if I will see any fruit next Aug, but If the fruit looks good I might take a few cuttings. We'll see...

The first photo was taken last year in June.
The second today.
The third is a closeup of the leaves.


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Sas from North Austin TX Zone 8B
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adoresfigs45

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Posted Reply with quote  #17 
oh nice    will send you my  "I am your friendly fig clippy fairy"  snippers.   Bet you money nobody knows what that first tree is .   Silly People.       I NEVER see a fig tree here.    Only in my yard.   sigh   are those mexican sunbonnet flowers?
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Posted Reply with quote  #18 
Possibly BT
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Posted Reply with quote  #19 
Gorgeous tree and super healthy leaves, whatever it is

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Sas

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Posted Reply with quote  #20 
Could it be part of an old homestead?
I know that the fig tree produces some kind of fruit. A few feet away along the fence there's also a peach tree.
Don't know how old, Took picture while it was raining.
It should be interesting to see how fast that fig tree recovers after getting bulldozed.
When I get a chance, I will try and get more info from the property owner.

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Sas from North Austin TX Zone 8B
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Sas

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Posted Reply with quote  #21 
Look at the difference between the photo of the leaves taken last June and the photos taken today. One might think that it is a totally different tree.

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Sas from North Austin TX Zone 8B
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noss

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Posted Reply with quote  #22 
I was going to say the same thing, Sas, about the shape of the leaves.  Really strange.  The leaves don't even remotely look similar.  Look how the stem end has the bottom two lobes up around the stem rather than curved away from it like the original photos.  Also, see how the edges of the new leaves are not smooth like in the original photos.

At the risk of getting smacked down, could the photos have gotten mixed up?  There is no background in the second two photos.

I would loved to have had some cuttings from the original tree.  Looks like there would have been no problem with your just taking cuttings without asking, since the original tree looks like it's gone.  That's a shame, but it did look like my two trees who people think are Celestes and some people don't think they look like Celestes, but think they're BTs.  My trees' figs have tight eyes and some BTs evidently have tight eyes, as well.

I hope you keep watching the new tree growth and reporting on how it's growing.

Thanks,

noss
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Sas

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Posted Reply with quote  #23 
Hi Noss, there is zero chance of a photo mixup here. I was also scratching my head when I saw the new growth. These photos were taken at exactly the same spot.
The original photos were taken last June when conditions are dry and the clay ground turns into concrete. They were leaves on a monster tree.
Today the ground is still soaked and we just had a couple of inches of rain in a few hours. All the new growth that you see today is green suckers after someone leveled the whole tree.
I will try to find out why since they left a large peach tree next to it and it too does look neglected as you see in pictures above.
This would be a great example of how difficult or unreliable it would be to identify a fig tree by just looking at the leaves.

I myself don't know what it is and it might be a BT as some members called it.


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noss

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Posted Reply with quote  #24 
I think Dan Abadie said that leaves on trees that are growing fast will be more deeply cut, but don't quote me.  If I heard that correctly, maybe that's why the leaves look so different, but I've never seen such a drastic difference like that, not that I've seen everything because I haven't.

Thanks for not smacking me for wondering if it could be a different tree.  ; )

noss
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Posted Reply with quote  #25 
I refer you to FIG VARIETIES: A MONOGRAPH by IRA J. CONDIT on page 428 he talks about the Brown Turkey and some of the confusion that comes with the name.
http://ucanr.edu/datastoreFiles/391-296.pdf

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brianm

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Posted Reply with quote  #26 
I know when trees are pruned hard, the growth typically is deep lobed like Noss said.
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Sas

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Posted Reply with quote  #27 
An update since May the 4th

The tree is now recovering and putting some aggressive growth with no sign of fruit this year. All branches are green with many potential breakout buds.
Perhaps fruit is postponed till next year.

The first photo on left was taken last year. The second photo on May 4, 2016 and the rest taken today.
All this growth without any sign of irrigation or fertilization.

Still cannot get hold of someone who could tell me anything about this tree, but will keep trying.






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Sas from North Austin TX Zone 8B
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Frankallen

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Posted Reply with quote  #28 
Hey Sas, a tree that big and looks to be very healthy should have some fruit on it, should't it? If a tree that size was in Alabama it would be loaded with fruit? Wonder what's wrong?
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Sas

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Posted Reply with quote  #29 
Hi Frank,

I saw some fruit early last year when this tree was a giant, but never got a chance to see the fruit when ripe. After it was removed, all the growth that you see is from beneath the soil.
Every branch is totally green and no sign of fruit. I've seen this when I pruned heavily some of my trees in pots early this year. Most came back with lots of green and healthy branches but many failed to bear any fruit. The ones that produced some fruit did it on older wood or on growth from older wood.
I'm thinking that when the tree is putting some aggressive growth, most of the energy goes into the new branches. I'm hoping that they keep this tree long enough to confirm this theory perhaps next year.
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Sas

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Posted Reply with quote  #30 
Growth since May 14th with no irrigation and no fertilization.

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Sas

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Posted Reply with quote  #31 
It is setting some fruit on a couple of branches, but I suspect that it's getting late for ripening them. We'll see.
They look like a Celeste fruit, but very late.

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Sas from North Austin TX Zone 8B
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Sas

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Posted Reply with quote  #32 
It looks like I might be getting some cuttings this time:)
First of all, I'd have to locate the owners and then make sure that the fruit is worth it.
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Posted Reply with quote  #33 
Imagine how the tree would do with some fertilizer and water.
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Posted Reply with quote  #34 
I'm no expert, but looking at that peach tree I'd say it's a minimum of twenty plus years old to attain that size with no fertilizer. I just lost one that size twenty-five years old, dang boring insects got it...
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Posted Reply with quote  #35 
The roots must have found a vein to grow so well no?
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Currently growing 50-60 varieties, this season's cuttings dependant. Hopefully I'll get to taste a few more this year...
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