Hello
I have these in the ground, Ronde de Bordeaux, Strawberry Verte and Zingarella. I plan on getting a cutting of Violette de Bordeaux this winter when they come available. I have room for 2 more. My question to everyone is for suggestions of which types you would chose. I live in Greenville SC zone 7.

Thank you

Hey William, the two I would suggest is Gino's Black and J H Adriatic ! : )

A lot of people want a variety of figs based on flavor, some want all their figs ripening at once and some want ripe figs spread out over the season.  Some prioritize but want more than 1 thing.  If you get some idea of what you want these 2 threads may offer some help.

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/cold-hardy-fig-list-by-flavor-7034227

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/fig-flavor-group-master-list-8109253

If I had to chose between a Violette de Bordeaux and a Chicago Hardy, I would go with a Chicago Hardy especially that you have a Ronde de Bordeaux.

Just for contrast, I might get myself something sweet and sugary.  I've got an Excel in ground (we'll see how it survives the winter) that made me half a dozen figs this year.  They were excellent.  Some splitting with all the rain, but nothing severe enough to keep me from enjoying them.  Even when they were 1-2 days away from really being ready, they were really good.  It's been a phenomenal grower too.  LSU gold or Peter's Honey might make good alternatives, but I've tasted neither.  Another member with a lot of experience says Excel is simply fantastic in the south.

After that, I've really enjoyed my Marseilles Black.  I know its hardy in ground in zone 7 (well, it better be, based on all the reports of it of folks growing it in the NE...guess I'll find out this winter).  It's nice and tangy, has a touch of an acidic bite, and was very rich.  I haven't tasted enough varieties to know for sure, but I would say it embodied the "rich berry" flavor profile pretty dang well.  I thought it was a nice contrast to the Ronde de Bordeaux I've got in ground, too.  Arguably the most flavorful of those I've tasted, honestly. 

Anyways, as a third choice I might recommend Adriatic JH.  I aaalllmmoooooossst put mine in ground, then decided I was too paranoid it would die in the winter.  Mine was pretty good in a pot.  It was my biggest fig in my collection, without question.  Sadly, I never got a truly ripe one.  One was bruised, and the rest all ripened during two massive downpours (4-5" each).  Naturally, they starting splitting, so I ate them.  Decently good, but I'm guessing they will be much better if I let them ripen 1 or 2 more days.  I've got 2 left on my plant I'm excited to try.  Notably, it was my latest ripening variety, just so you know.

Finally, I might consider brooklyn white.  I was a damn fool, and grew 3 plants of it.  Gave 2 away.  Mine 3rd one died :(  I plan to re-acquire it this winter, if I can find cuttings.  Supposed to be excellent, dependable, cold hardy, and makes decent brebas.  Pretty much an all around winner.  It's a good grower (you know, before I gave them away) as well.

Hope this at least gives you something to mull over.

No consensus yet. I can see this is going to be a difficult decision since these will be my last 2 spots. And I guess the cuttings that come available will be a major determining factor.

For a cool zone you have selected a nice set of figs! 
These will ripen main crop figs in several flavour groups from late August to freezing.

You may want to add some good breba producers that will ripen figs in July and Early august.  Desert King, Sicilian red and black and some other figs are good breba producers that fill the gap nicely.

Hey Joe
I see one of your hobbies is winemaking. Ever make any fig wine? Muscadine wine is the big thing around here.

I had not given much thought to breba crops. Most everything I had read is that they were somewhat inferior to the main crop and were very sparse in their production. Is this correct.

Hi,
Longue d'aout and Desert King.

Personally, I'm trying to represent a diversity of the fig flavor groups in my little container forest. That way I can experience a range of what figs can offer. You don't have sugar or honey figs represented yet, so getting one of each of those might be fun for you. I'm still waiting for my first sugar and honey figs to ripen (might have to replace my TC Italian Honey/White Marseilles as it hasn't fruited in two seasons). Celeste seems to be the most popular sugar fig; I went Salce and it seems a good match so far for my short growing season.

If you have a strong preference for dark figs and simply want to continue with those, Hardy Chicago is terrific. It is both productive and delicious. It's also quite hardy.

I have been giving a lot thought to the Italian Honey or Peters Honey. I thought my Strawberry Verte would be under sugar. Even though it has berry in the name the Verte and the Green Ischia show listed under sugar. 

Don't overlook southern Brown turkey and Celeste, if you are looking for maintenance free, never splits n the rain, dependable crop year after year. Cold hardy variety as well.

I'm kind of leaning toward Peters Honey to cover my honey fig. I believe the Zingerella that I have is in the sugar group. I was thinking about the Smith for the one to finish off my collection. I have read a lot of good things about it can not find what taste group it is in.

Ronde de Bordeaux - Bordeaux berry
Strawberry Verte - Adriatic berry
Zingarella - Mt Etna dark berry

Peter's honey would be a prolific honey addition. Atreano too.

Smith seems to be a good Adriatic / exotic berry choice that gets rave reviews and fruits early for a lot of people at least for an Adriatic berry. Adriatic JH is another one highly recommended.

Florea or Improved Celeste could be good early and hardy sugar varieties but lack flavor by most reports. I personally like Florea and the fact that it will fruit first. Hoping Improved Celeste's flavor improves on my young tree. Celeste would be a good sugar choice as well and a standard in the south.

Gino's black, Black Greek, MBVS, and other Mt Etnas are great if you want more dark berries.

Negronne, Nero 600M, and VDB are good Bordeaux berries if you wanted more of those and I think they taste different than RDB.

I am also in 7a.  Atreano, VDB, Nero 600 have all done very well for me. Salem Dark (plum flavored INHO) is a Mt. Etna variety and it too has been a superior performer for me. The criteria for me has been wanting a variety of flavors and cultivars which will be hardy enough to survive in our climate in ground with a minimum of effort on my part once established.  

If space is an important consideration VDB, Petit Negri, Negronne seem to be more compact plants than something like Atreano or White Genoa which have proven to be very aggressive and spreading growers for me. Do not know how much space you are allocating per tree/bush but selecting some of the more compact varieties could mean having enough room for 3 trees instead of just 2 trees.  :)

Correction:  Its my Bryant Dark that is plum flavored.

Thank you Don for answering my Smith question.
Marianna I see we are not to far apart.

I have put my figs with 17ft between them. That is probably overkill but too many times I have planted things that were perfect for a year or two and then became this giant lump.

I found this web site for cuttings and also small trees. It looks like they have every variety known to man. Has anyone bought from here before?


http://www.figcuttings.com/p/custom-fig-tree-orders.html

Figcuttings.com is GreenFin,he is a member here and from what I read(I haven't ordered from him as I'm in the UK) a respected one at that.Search GreenFin in the username search function and you will see what kind of guy he is,shouldn't have any worries about ordering from him

Smith tastes great -- good enough to persuade me to buy one and plant it a big pot.  But I'm not sure it's cold hardy.

Rhode Island may be a little rough for in the ground.

MvsB all they my most reliable fig
Even after totally being top killed in
Winter it quickly grows back and ripens main
Crop figs. More reliable and and hardy than my two
Strains of hardy Chicago.