Hehe. I still remember helping in the garden as a girl. The memories are precious, and it started a lifelong love of growing fruit and veggies. Awesome skills and traditions to pass along to our kids.

HC figs ripen end of Sept. beginning of Oct. in my area, so I'm just trying to figure out if the Unk. Sheepshead have entered the quiessence stage yet, or if they are still growing.

This is the Sheepshead with the most fruit... it has 15. It is tucked between SV and an older HC. In the second shot you can see about nine of the fruits on the Sheepshead. Final shot I tried for a close up on the cluster of the five biggest, but the camera kept focusing on the netting.

Matt, Lewi, ..I'm excited to see figs! Can't wait for the report on color taste etc...Thank You
Due to space restriction, I've had mine growing in shade so far, so I wasn't expecting any fruit this year. It is displaying lots of healthy leaves.

Looks like it might turn out to be a red fig...if it does not get even darker.

could it be a Hardy Chicago?

Looks good lewi, keep us updated.

Peter - this tree was around before Chicago hardy was sold in stores. Many mount etna figs are similar, as Chicago hardy has its roots tracing back to Brooklyn (Bensonhurst purple). If this turns out to be red, then it would be totally different. I'm looking forward to see everyone's else, I only got 1 small fig but it was the size of a dime and I couldn't judge from that.

my unknown Sheepshead is about six feet now with very large leaves, I have figs about the same size, a dime. All I can tell right now is that the eye is a dark pink. It is interesting noting how some varieties grow fast like yours and the Green Irchia and yet my Sals Corleone is a very slow grower. I love the fig tree yard I have now, very unique outside the fig forum here ;)

Matty,

Please tell us you will be able to get to the mother tree and taste it..I am happy to post pics, but this tree is to young to eat!

I picked the fig today...still looks red..it was ripe enough that the ants were eating it :(~)

The eye appears to be an open variety, at least with no cavity in the fig itself.

Matt,

After looking up red sicilian, I think you are right, it is either closely related to, or the same as Red sicillian...Rs is supposed to be a top quality fig.

Update to mother tree - no ripe figs as of now. They could have been eaten by animals or the tree put so much energy into growing laterals it didnt have time to ripen fruit. The tree once again has about 30 laterals coming up ranging from 4-8ft tall with tons of figlets. It is shaded by lots of weeds, so the lower branches have figlets that look almost white from lack of sunlight.

Some of the leaf patterns on the tree look significantly different that Mt. Etna types, hard to see - but if you look close enough you will see the odd pattern.

 
 

Here are some pics of the trees, figs and actual ripe fruit. Most of the fruits were eaten by squirrels, today i got my first ripe one. Was absolutely amazing, super berry flavor - intense. I wish i had a dozen of these to eat. Top 2 fig so far for me.

 

 


   

 

Is there any consensus on what this fig might be the closest to. This is a great review. Glad I am growing it. Thanks.

My Sheepshead was hit hard by rust, as were many of my trees this year:-(. I had to get some advice from our rust pro, Richie (figpig). Its been a tough battle this year. Next year, I will be prepared.

Thanks for sharing great photos of your trees. Im looking forward to mine looking better & maybe producing fruit too.

Delicious fig

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Peter- next year you'll get a ripe one. That is a very unripe fig, and it's cold out. Wait till next year and you'll be surprised :)

Thanks for sharing.

Oh I cant wait until next year, i am very pleased with what little I have here. I figured I would pull it before the weekend, its going to get real cold. From what it tasted like, it is going to be a hellava fig ;)

Nice photos, Pete. Looking forward to mine fruiting. Looks great. Glad you saved this one Matty.

Thanks Meg, how cool is it to have a patio surrounded by fig trees :)