This one came labelled as Gustissimo Early Dark ! Looks like an LDA ☹️

Where did it come from?

It sure doesn't look like the label.  How did it taste in comparison to LDA?

I think that this nursery has gone a step beyond on a very bad habit which is naming figs that already have a name. They invented a trendy name for existing varieties and patent it!

I believe that if we look closely to their Gustissimo® series we can find lots of common varieties that they have "developed". They do develop some new strains, as with red apples, but it doesn't seem so with the figs. Not cool, in my book.


http://www.lubera.co.uk/plants/fruit-trees/additional-fruit-trees/fig-trees/

The problem i see with renaming figs is adding to the confusion of identifying varieties. And we all know that is hard enough without invented names to add to the confusion.

How does a fig enthusiast fells when he buys a variety only to find out it's the same one he had all along, with a different name someone invented, for being too lazy to try and find out the real variety or having the guts to say it's an unknown?

How would you feel if you had forked almost 60 USD for buying a Gustissimo® Early Black only to find out later on that it's the same as Lampeira Preta, that you already had (i am not saying that it's true, it's only for the sake of argument)

I can honestly say that i really don't like when i see traditional Portuguese figs that we have grown for centuries being renamed in other countries just because (many times) people don't care to find out their origin and true name.

I think if it was the other way around, people would be a bit annoyed too.

In this case I think they purposefully changed the names. I was told that they get their stock from a Swiss Nursery(real nursery) called Mercato Verde.

Vinny,

I have no problem with different traditional names for very old varieties cultivated in different countries, like the example you stated - Violette de Sollies/Brigiotto Nero/Brajaçote Negro. That's almost inevitable but it's well identified and causes no confusions if you read and search a bit.

My problem is with people trying to get a profit, like that nursery (the audacity in not only renaming fig varieties but patent them! as if they where a new development) and sometimes some fig home growers that see a money opportunity and have no problems inventing a new name for an old fig variety and, in that process, catch many unsuspecting fig hobbyists that pay a handsome fee for that exciting "new" variety with a catchy name.

They do get their trademark figs from Mercato Verde and sell them with different names - http://www.mercato-verde.ch/de/angebot/feigenbaeume

The best bet in avoiding those situations is keeping an eye on these forums, as you say.

A "find the differences" game :

 

Thanks mate, I'll keep on posting all the pics of figs from this nursery so that people can have a look at what they might receive.
Also comming back to Vilotte De sollies / Borjasotte Noire/ Brogiotto Nero/ Brajaçote Nero etc, I've seen some nurseries selling all of these as different varieties in Italy/France etc. I avoid them.
I am growing VDS and Brigiotto Nero, personally I think they are both different varieties , why? Because VDS has produced many figs for me but the Brogiotto Nero hasn't and its older, also leaves looks different. They both came from a very respectable source, if someone has send me wrong or renamed figs I will expose them as I did with Lubera.
Also there are three types of Brogiotto Nero-
1,Brogiotto Nero,
2,Brogiotto Nero o Fiorentino,
3,Brogiotto Nero Romano.
2 and 3 puts out Brebas in a good year. All came directly from a well known collector in Italy.

>>Also comming back to Vilotte De sollies / Borjasotte Noire/ Brogiotto Nero/ Brajaçote Nero etc, I've seen some nurseries selling all of these as different varieties in Italy/France etc.

That happens a lot. And sometimes we really get different varieties from respectable sources that fig trees that should be synonyms. That's why i think we don't need made up names to add to this mess.

Two more "exclusive varieties" developed by Lubera - they don't even bother to use different photos at this stage - probably because the trees they have and sell didn't produce any figs yet:





This one seems familiar too...



I specially like this at the end of each page "new variety" - they find them and test them intensively. So intensively that they don't even have their own fig photos.
Later they sell these "new products" (and they are cheap too), that are exclusive for Lubera - nobody else can sell them (with that made up name, they are right). Simply unbelievable:

 

Lol, I have seen all this. Last time when I visited Metcato Verde they refused to comment on their deals with Lubera.

I had Lubera nursery in high praise for their work in developing red fleshed apples - http://www.lubera.co.uk/plants/fruit-trees/pome-fruit/?sPage=1&sSort=2

That's how i found them in the first place.

And that takes hard work and many years to accomplish. But it seems they got greedy, saw a "market" opportunity and began renaming fruit trees varieties with their "own" brand names as if they had developed them themselves. 

Seeing what they have done with figs, i wonder how many other "exclusive" fruit varieties, that they sell, are their own development.

I wonder... If i buy this - http://www.lubera.co.uk/plants/fruit-trees/pome-fruit/winter-apples-und-storage-apples/apple-bionda-bella?c=103 - will i end up with a simple Golden Delicious, that would cost me 1/3 of that price in my local nursery?

They have lost a potencial costumer with these tactics.

Just to share...,

I ever asked whether I could buy a bare roots fig plants from them for  some Of GUSTISSIMO@ FIGS Type VARIETIES. Since Those figs pics  are looking gorgeous on the website.

But the officer of the Lubera  was openly recommending and telling me to contact "Mercarto Verde"  nursery , as their fig trees plant's source are coming from MV's  nursery.

Best Regards.

Zaitun

I am also growing Gustissimo® Peretta in Malaysia. I got them from multiple Hungarian nurseries since I have heard this confusion about it. But they are finally all the same so it may seem legit.

Vinny,
Can you tell me more about Brogitto Nero Romano. I have someone that is trying to trade
me this fig and I know nothing about it. Is it a common fig, or does it need the wasp, and
is it any good. I already have Violette de Soiles. Thanks

Ray 

I'm very glad I came across this post; I was considering buying these 'new' figs but definitely won't be now.