Growing a nursery potted Celeste from Dave Wilson nursery. Does not say improved. What if any are the differences between the two? Thanks

Improved Celeste, Champagne, Tiger, O'rourke were design to replace Celeste. Many reports mentioned Celeste have a tendency to abort its crop. My Celeste behave in this manner whereas the LSU variants don't. LSU Improved Celeste is bigger in fig size over Celeste.

Celeste is a southern fig that absolutely never drops fig in the,south. Just to let yall know. Improve Celeste etc. Do not drop in northern areas less or not at all

If the Improved Celeste is in fact a different fig, where did it originate?  Dr Johnson said that LSU never released a fig named "Improved Celeste" so where did it come from?  It has been said that it may have come from Dr O'Rourke giving it out to testers.  I am not sure it is real.  As to the "Southern Celeste", there is no such cultivar, many Celeste trees located in the South are so old that they have not evolved and are true to original type.

There is another whole discussion on why Celeste drops figs. 

My opinions(may be uninformed) ,all.

Many unreleased LSU figs are around.  I never heard it called southern Celeste till just above this post.

Regular Celeste ,drops crop,here in NJ,and I have a lady Friend in Louisiana that also dropped for her.
So in certain localities,it does drop.
Improved Celeste is exactly that:Improved,it makes bigger fruit and drop less.
This year we had periods of 10 days without rain,and ,with 90+ F and Improved Celeste dropped a few ,half grown figs but it retained most of them.
So now you have your honest answer.
If I was you,In Ca ,I would not make Celeste my only fig because with the climate in Ca,hot and dry,it might drop too.

So from paully22  what I'm hearing is that this tree performs differently in different area's. Do you know who improved these tree's and how? Is the improved celeste from the same tree genetically (mother tree) or is it like the old time radio show- "Only the Shadow knows".  I don't get it though, why would a respectable nursery in California sell figs that drop? Mine is not old enough for me to have seen this behavior. Or maybe it doesn't happen in warmer climates. I have only eaten one fig from it. Maybe I should give this one away and buy the 'Improved'?  Does anyone on this forum live in Southern California, and have the standard variety? BTW I called Dave Wilson nursery and the only answer they gave was that it came from UC Riverside collection before they shut down their operations- they didn't even know if it was improved or not.  Keep your thoughts and knowledge coming, I don't this has been explored enough. I would like more information if it is available. Thanks.

Herman2 says "Improved Celeste is exactly that:Improved,it makes bigger fruit and drop less."

which still leads to my question....Where did it come from and who improved it?

Not arguing anything just asking the question.

I have had my Celeste here in SoCal for 16 years and it never drops a significant amount of figs. My tree is from the typical "fig" tree grown in Louisiana (shown in my profile pic).

I had three different Celeste including improved Celeste. The improved Celeste fruit was almost the size of a Black Mission fruit.
The other two Celestes both bought locally one from Home Depot and one from Lowe's came from two different suppliers in TX.
I could tell immediately that the two trees were diferent. One had a lighter grey bark while the second one had a darker grey bark.
The one with darker grey bark was the one that kept dropping its fruit and after three year I let it go to a wildlife area.
The one with lighter grey bark was a winner from day one and is my most prolific tree in pot and never drops its fruit.
Here's some pictures of my Celeste in pot that I posted before. As for the improved Celeste, I moved it also to the wildlife area and not sure of its fate at this time.

Improving Celeste was done only at LSU University,by Dr O'Rourke program.
Celeste did not improve by itself ,that is for sure.
Down here you got fruits from Improved Celeste in different years,of course different color and shapes but they are all from same tree,and yes they have same taste like Celeste but larger fruits,some 1.5 time larger.
      

@Chapman - I agree, that fits with what Dr Johnson has said in the past, primarily there never was a fig released named "Improved Celeste".

Is it safe to assume that the O'Rourke and the "Improved Celeste" are the same?  I really don't care because the O'Rourke is way down the list compared to the other great LSU figs, in my opinion.  I was curious as to where the term "Improved Celeste" came from.

My Celeste trees are all taken from really old (heirloom) trees and are decent performing, good tasting figs.  Many of these trees are well over 75 yrs old and as large as small houses.  I have never had any tree drop figs.

I had some discussions on this topic when I started.

There is Celeste and it's other common names.

Improved Celeste Tiger, Improved Celeste Champagne, and Improved Celeste O'Rourke, released as the above link shows. With the O'Rourke, considered Dr. O'Rourke's' best fig,it  was named after him.

Golden Celeste, or LSU Golden Celeste, an LSU release.

Improved Celeste itself is an unreleased, different Celeste, from LSU. Referenced in F4F varieties.

I think many of the LSU releases we are familiar with were based on the Celeste x capri fig variants.

Have to double check, it's been awhile, but I thought the LSU red, black and Brandy also. Lots of reading with an older memory, lol.

I am looking forward to this as I have Champagne, O'Rourke, Improved Celeste and Golden Celeste growing.

I have also found an in-ground tree  in RI I will be caring for, and my initial thoughts were a possible Celeste.

Oh the fun,

                  Mike

Danny, I don't know how the Improved Celeste got named, I'd guess someone started calling it that since it was an un-named fig from  LSU that was a Celeste cross.  My Improved Celeste is definitely a different variety from my O'Rourke that came from  the LSU orchard. My Improved Celeste came from a nursery in Abbeville La that has been growing and propagating it since before LSU released O'Rourke officially. I also have a heirloom Celeste that has been in my family for many years.  It has been very productive for me and is the main fig I propagate to sell trees.

Like VS says, Celeste CAN drop its figs if the tree is stressed by lack of water or some other means. Improved Celeste is soooo much better than Celeste in many ways. Just get Improved Celeste and you will be happy. Don't worry about who created it or where it came from. You're gonna get a lot of comments here and everyone has their own opinion. Get Improved Celeste and you will be busting with joy!

I did not say that Celeste name was southern Celeste. Just that its founding roots stem from the south and that it groas,the best in Louisiana. Even small Celeste tree dont drop here. There are many many celestial tree here that 100 plus years old and rather young trees that are huge.

Some of the history of Improved Celeste here: 
https://mountainfigs.net/answers/orourke-and-improved-celeste-2-distinct-cultivars/

 Hllyhll.   Wow at about half way through I was playing "whose on first" in my mind. Will the real Improved Celeste please step forward. But at least I got the 'Improved celeste is 3 lobed and the o'rouke 5 lobed- though vigorously growing celeste can grow 5 lobed leaves, but look different LOL.   Great LINK though! Thanks!!!

Hi Folks, I have two Celeste trees in their eleventh year since planting and I have never seen a fig drop on those trees. I average 20 gallons a year on each tree and am down in South Louisiana on the coast near  the town of Abbeville.

Travis. do you have pictures of your trees? Thank for posting.

Hi Sas,
The trees are twins and the crop is almost exactly the same. There has been a Celeste in my life since I was a child in my grandfather's orchard in 1952.
In my area there are many Celeste trees and they are very cold hardy. In 2014 when we had three ice storms in six weeks  and a low of 18 degrees there was a tiny bit of tip damage on the two Celeste trees. meanwhile I lost two mature citrus trees due to that cold event.
I have other trees, but these are my favorites.
Travis Callahan Abbeville, LA

Those are some nice looking trees.  I have a couple Celeste's around that age that are also excellent producers.