Devin,

If I was in zone 3, I'd want the earliest ripening fig from my collection. Out of about 60 or 70 varieties, I could name only a couple that are clearly earlier than the rest.
One of them is the cheapest tree I have and came from a local Home Depot here in Texas. It's a Celeste and it has been the most productive and earliest producer of my collection, not to mention that as the tree gets older the taste keeps improving. I suggest you get one before anything else.
If your summers are short you will have trouble ripening many other varieties unless you have a green house. I currently have several trees in pots with some figs on them and doubt if they will ripen before next month.

As far as I know the Violette de Sollies was originally a Brogiotto Nero, but got adapted to the local environment in that region of France and developed its own characteristics.
That's probably why there's some small differences between the two. Vioette de Sollies is the most important fig in France and the name is protected.

My little tree has not been as productive as I hoped, but it is still very young and was put in ground last year. Like JD says, patience, but in this digital world who has it?

Just wanted to point out that on my Bourjasotte Noire I get a variation of leaves on it including enormous leaves similar to that Vito posted. I wouldn't mind growing VdS and Brogiotto Nero sometime to compare to my Bourjasotte Noire. If they turn out to be almost identical.... that is definitely not a problem! :)

Tyler

Hey thanks Drew... I appreciate that. :)  Maybe sometime down the road though once yours get established :)

Vito, that is a beautiful fig for sure. I have a Brogiotto Nero that came from Vito, a Violet Solies and a Bourjasotte Noire, and all three are producing figs. I’m not an expert, but would say they are similar, but not exact, I hope other growers who have all three will give comments.


Phil