Good day, early this morning I went for a drive. I located a new rare black fig. It is truly an unknown. According to the owners, the tree has been there at least 20 years, but they are not sure. All I know is thie tree is 15 feet tall and loaded with ripe figs with more ready to come. The owner''s son rooted some cuttings and gave me a tree. Owner picked a few and gave them to me. The figs were ripe but could have stayed on a few more days. They were rich and very sweet. I don't know what variety it is. It's an unknown. Wish I knew what it is. Galicia Negra maybe?

Different then a lsu black black Madera. Think you may have the Galicia Negra. Gland for you Dennis
Can tell by the leaves its not a average black fig. Color is beautiful and interior is very nice. Good find.

Well, we all know I can't guess a fig variety to save my life ;-)

You folks in the south are so lucky to be able to just drive down the street and see all these fig trees.  That is the coolest thing ever.  I think I'm going to find a few spots and guerilla plant a few trees.  Dump some leaves on them in the winter and see what happens.  My MIL's neighbor planted a peach tree in the alley behind her house.  For sure that's where one of them will go.

Good luck putting a name to your found fig.  It's very pretty, the leaves and the fig.

Looks great. Hope they taste as good as they look. yum

Thats a nice looking fig

Just a guess but could this be Black Ischia.

I was gonna say what Leon said, Black Ischia. My Galicia negra has different leaves but my tree is in its first year so that can change, and from most pics I've seen the GN has a really dark interior, unlike any other. To be honest I haven't seen a ripe galicia negra in person so it's very possible I'm just spewing hot air, lol. What ever it is Dennis it is not your run of the mill fig and deserves the spot light. Good luck with it and keep us posted.

Black Ischia?  Hmmmmmm, it very well could be.  My 2 Black Ischia's are not ripe yet and are pretty large trees.  This lady's tree is 15 feet tall.  She lives on a farm with goats, chicken and such.  But the tree is beautiful!  No FMV whatsoever!  She said they toss goat dropping around the tree daily.  I took more pictures but will post them later.

You know...the more I think about it, it could be Black Ischia.  Her son gave me 2 trees....pretty large trees at that!  One is trying to fruit.  She has another tree right next to this one.  She claims the figs are green, very large, open eye, and dark red inside.  She's going to give me an air layer in a few weeks.  When I go back I will take a lot more pictures.  

Black Ischia huh?  Well I know it's not Violette de Bordeaux.   It is no where close to the leaf pattern.

I'll post more pics tomorrow!  thanks everyone for your comments! 

The tree reminds me of Maggie's Negretta. The leaf shape and the black figs with the white specks and also the color of the interior. Only Dennis can compare the taste test though.

Ok, the jury is out on this fig. I compared the leaves to my Black Ischia UCD. This fig iis.....

Black Ischia

Since I found it, I call it Black Ischia DJ


The good news about this is it does not have FMV.

I will plant these trees in the ground in Fall. Those coming to my fig festival will see these trees up close.

Check your Col Littman's fig.

Congrats Dennis. I hope it grows really well like the mother tree and is eventually more widely propagated. From the description of the taste and how it looks, it' definitely a keeper. Please be sure to ask about the fig with the red interior as well when you get a chance.

If there is already a black ischia why re name it?
Just more confusion.
Where's all the complainers when I am renaming the gm8?
If I happen to find a green ischia do I rename it to green ischia db?
Doug

Doug, I am a fig newbie so please excuse my error in misunderstanding. I thought the initials at the end is of the person who finds/propagate/sourced the fig to denote a strain that is different from the original named one in someway like better health, vigor, taste, etc... For example, Black Madeira KK vs Black Madeira UCDA, where Black Madeira KK is more desirable because it tends to grow relatively well and produce fruits, while Black Madeira UCDA tends to be a slow grower, if it grows, and is more temperamental.

In this case, Dennis' find is confirmed by him to be a Black Ischia that appears FMD free, though it probably has FMV. The mother tree is healthy and big. From what I understand, Black Ischia UCDA is as temperamental as Black Madeira UCDA. So taken together, wouldn't Dennis' initial at the end be fitting since by the info. reported thus far, his Black Ischia is the healthier strain?

P.S. I'm on a quest to finally have/taste Green Ischia and if you have Green Ischia or if you happen to find one, please remember me around cutting season. I can send a PM and don't mind Green Ischia or Green Ischia DB as long as it is Green Ischia at last. : )

Sure I have a couple. One is 5-6 feet tall and just as big a diameter.
The point made to me is name confusion on the same variety fig.
I don't care either way, but what is good for one is good for all.
Imagine all the duplicate named figs we already have. Adding to it does not make
sense to me.
Nothing against the poster, but everybody will start doing it as well.
Many varieties have fmv for one person and not the next.
There are too many variables to consider to just say one is rare because it does not appear to have fmv.

Just my opinion and just common sense.


Doug

My suggestion Dennis, would be to put "unknown" in front of the name i.e. Unknown Black Ischia DJ.  It could very well be a healthy strain of Black Ischia but who really knows for sure?  This situation is a bit like when John Verdick found a fig that seemed like Pastiliere but had no idea what it really is.  So he named it Unknown Pastiliere or Unknown Pastiliere JD.  The naming stuff aside I'm happy for you that you found what appears to be a great fig!

Looks like Black Ischia. I agree. Black Ischia Unknown DJ. And send me a cutting ASAP! :)

Wow. Nice find Dennis.

Hope your feeling better btw!

I think i feel a trade may be needed for i want this beautiful black fig. ;-) BBF UNKNOWN. LOL
Really look at this. Just beautiful to me

Hi,
The leaf looks strangely like the one of my Pastiliere.
But my Pastiliere is slooow ans is still due to fruit more than 2 fruits a year...
My 2 cents on Pastiliere.

Unknown's are just that. Unknown.
That is why I never put any unknown figs in my orchard.
If a fig produces something other than It's name and description, I dig it up and burn it.
It is just my preference.
If I give a fig away, I want the person knowing they got what it is supposed to be.
I could grow a bunch of unknowns, but why when I don't have to.
Looks like a tasty fig anyway.

Doug

For what it's worth, here are pics of my USDA Black Ischia. Whatever the new fig is, it looks like a keeper, for sure.


  
 

If I don't know what it is....yes I do.
I have an acre and a half of orchard so I have plenty of room to plant what I want.
I call my figs what I was told they are called, then I prove it with the produce.
One fig was called LSU Scotts yellow, produced purple figs......
Before I burnt my 2 of them, I went back to the man who gave me the cuttings.
He researched where he got it and confirmed it was lsu Scotts black not yellow.
So it was spared. There has only been those 2 and one other so far that did not produce
the right colored, flavored fig.
Yup, burnt up the one.
Too many well known fantastic figs with background and their original name to be had for me.
It is only a matter of personal preference.

Doug