Here's a fig a picked from a one year old tree of Verdal Longue. It was one of the best figs I've tasted with it's jam like texture and sweetness.
 

lovely fig, thanks for posting even though its torture to look at and not taste that one made my mouth water.

This was a definite winner this summer. Late ripener and still ripening.

Interesting how much different it looks on the east coast. Very distinctive looking here, with a distinctive, relatively long stem.

Jon,
yours look a bit different, but I have noticed that the skin on mine has a few blushes. If it was sunny and hotter this season it would have been closer to yours. Not sure why the pulp on mine is deeper red. It did have a very unique and delicious flavor. It's only one year old tree, I could only imagine how much better it would be when it gets even older.

Mine definitely got full on sun all summer. They look different at Davis, as well. Definitely a distinctive taste, and instant winner. Very heavy bearer, with a fruit a every leaf node. Favorite of birds, too.

Bumping an old thread from 3 years ago.

I got some cuttings the other day from this fig (wish I had taken more) and at the time knew nothing about it. Herman also listed it on his 'tasty' list yesterday ( http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/Question-for-Herman-your-top-10-5932236 ), and this very thread makes it sound wonderful. 

http://figs4fun.com/Thumbnail_Verdal_Longue.html

Is anyone else growing this fig?

Have as a starter. Bad case of FMV right out of the gate.

Definitely on my wish list awesome tasting fig.

My 4 Years old has a good number of figs on it now,that will sure ripe this Fall.
Yes it has FMV,and is the only other one outside Ischia Black I grow from UCD.

I have three cuttings rooted and they all look like a different variety from each other because of the FMV.  Hopefully I'll be able to sample one of these figs.

Can anyone compare the taste to
Bataglia Green and Adriatic JH?

This is my third year growing this tree.  It was already a few years old when I received it.  All three years, it has one limb or two limbs that seem to grow okay.  The rest are dramatically effected by FMV.  This year, the tree has 3 figs on it.  I'm anxious to try this one and I hope it is a good one... Otherwise it might end up on the chopping block next year.

~james

Yes James,I noticed that the fig are also affected by disease.
On the same branch one or 2 develop into a normal fruit in short time while the rest,just as old on Branch remain small and undeveloped.
My conclusion,is that the virus affect fruits too,not only leaves,so the trees with this type of virus,will not produce much ever.
Just Like you I am waiting to test a couple of ripe fruits to see if it is better than JH Adriatic in taste as the shape I can see is different with longer neck.
If it is not better tasting than JH Adriatic ,then  there is no incentive to grow it here in cold climates,as JH Adriatic is a Fig with excellent taSTE that will grow and produce ripe fruits with minimal care.

[QUOTE] If it is not better tasting than JH Adriatic ,then  there is no incentive to grow it here in cold climates,as JH Adriatic is a Fig with excellent taSTE that will grow and produce ripe fruits with minimal care. 
[/QUOTE]

Who (or what) is the "JH" connected with JH Adriatic?  I searched the forums, but search knocks out two-letter strings, and I didn't feel like sifting through all 250 hits for Adriatic.  Is JH Adriatic significantly different from plain old Adriatic?

And is JH Adriatic also "very susceptible to mosaic" (as Jon's varieties/info page suggests, attributed to I think either Ray Givan or ACES)?  You guys growing JH Adriatic... is it also heavily affected by mosaic?

Mike   central NY state, zone 5

That's funny I was just searching for the same info.  I have rooted an Adriatic from UCDavis and thought, I thought the J is for Jon and I see there is a hybrid adriatic also known as Conadria so maybe the H is for hybrid?  Hopefully someone can clarify this variety.[QUOTE=MichaelTucson][QUOTE] If it is not better tasting than JH Adriatic ,then  there is no incentive to grow it here in cold climates,as JH Adriatic is a Fig with excellent taSTE that will grow and produce ripe fruits with minimal care. 
[/QUOTE]

Who (or what) is the "JH" connected with JH Adriatic?  I searched the forums, but search knocks out two-letter strings, and I didn't feel like sifting through all 250 hits for Adriatic.  Is JH Adriatic significantly different from plain old Adriatic?

And is JH Adriatic also "very susceptible to mosaic" (as Jon's varieties/info page suggests, attributed to I think either Ray Givan or ACES)?  You guys growing JH Adriatic... is it also heavily affected by mosaic?

Mike   central NY state, zone 5[/QUOTE]

Well All I can say it is not infected with fig Mosaic virus at all,I mean my plant.
It depends where you get your plant,and if it was infected by someone doing grafting or growing it where the acacia fici vector was infecting it by sucking on the plant.
JH are initial of John Hood,the person that had the tree and spread cuttings to other growers first.
His fig tree is heaLTHY WITH NO fmv SYMPTOMS.
The UCD Adriatic has Five lobes and 2 thumbs for the dominant healthy leaf,this one ,entire to three,so tho the fruits are similar the leaves are not
He obtained the tree from Texas neighborhood where he lives.
This one tree,is 3 years old but have another ,larger that is 4 years old and both have a good number of main crop fruits at stagnant stage now.

I would like to kindly make a suggestion to everyone.  If you're trying to mimick figs that grow at UCD, you mind as well give up trying unless you live on the west coast where the fig wasp lives.  Remember, food, water, climate and location plays a huge part of fig product.  Figs pollinated by the wasp taste differently than those not fertilized by the wasp.  Even common figs at UCD gets fertilized just like the capri figs.  Does that change the flavor, taste, and texture of the common fig, maybe....I personally think so.  I do know that seeds are larger, crunchier and the figs have more flavor and are larger.  My Black Mission figs are great tasting in my climate.  UCD Black Mission figs are truly amazing!  My Black Maderia figs are one of the best tasting in my climate.  UCD Black Maderia figs are a bit thicker but shaped the same and are great too.  The skin texture and all on UCD figs are just plain different, but in a good way!  Yes, most trees at UCD have FMV but if you saw the tree in person, you would never know it has it!  The trees at UCD are very healthy.  Once every 3 years they do feed their trees pure nitrogen.  Both Black Madeira and Black Ischia at UCD are semi-dwarf trees and again very healthy.  Both were no more that 10 feet tall compared to ZIdi, Panachee, Excel and other were huge 20' tall trees.  Zidi is not a common fig but is pretty close to flavor and taste when compared to BM and BI.

So, I kindly suggest that we try not to copy what grows at UCD but find a super tasting fig that grows well in our climate and get a second or third tree.  :)  It will may you a very happy fig grower!

What does pure nitrogen do?

Gives you more horsepower :)

[QUOTE]If you're trying to mimick figs that grow at UCD, you mind as well give up trying unless you live on the west coast where the fig wasp lives. [/QUOTE]

I think the wasp is very limited out here too. It's certainly not common at all in Southern California and at best is limited to 2 questionable locations. But we do have Mediterranian growing conditions, so that can compensate for some potential problems. (edit 10/12/12 - the wasp is more widespread in Cali than I thought.)

I think if you want several fig trees, the only thing to do is try many kinds, and only keep the ones that work for you.

For example, the Verdal Longue I recently got cuttings from was a healthy tree growing in the ground in SoCal. Hopefully I'll get to taste it soon to see if it's as good as some say.

Dennis:You are totally right in your post.
I personally in my climate can't boost the tree with nitrogen because it will be sure death for that tree,next Winter.
Nitrogen makes the tree grow like a weed,and no real hard wood will be forming till Winter set in.
So during next Winter the tree will die.
So I try to grow my in ground trees in nitrogen poor soil,so they grow slow and woody.
Of course this works with healthy trees but not with FMV Infected trees.
In a Way Nature selects the cultivars for me ,if I grow them in nitrogen poor soil.
Instead of Nitrogen rich soil,I try to supplement the tree with minerals,like Limestone ,powder or granulated.

Gina,

   You are absolutely right. Exposure, zone, cultivation practice, et cetera will dictate what cultivars will be successful for any individual. Sometimes, it's a "best fit" proposition, especially for people like me, who are to the left of the fig I Q bell curve. Because of that, I follow the "grow what you know" philosophy with the caveat of trying new things, but not being disappointed terribly when it casts off these earthly coils.

I hear, understand, and agree with you Gina.  I am very surprised to hear you have limited wasp in your area.  Wow!  I am surprised.  Like you, I try growing many different varieties and keep those that work best in my area.  People in my area only know of one fig, the Brown Turkey.

There are so many nurseries in my area and some online that have completely lied to me about figs saying BT and Celeste only grow in NC.  They were wrong and knew nothing about figs.  So, years ago I started collecting a lot of different varieties and reading everything I could about figs.

 I have alot of many different varieties growing in pots and they are growing very well in NC.  I have VL, Black Ischia, Black Maderia, Cartegena Negra, Soudai, and many others to name a few.  These cultivars grow great in my climate and taste amazing.  So, this Fall I will have to make room for some of these others.  

UCD do not have many figs that we have.  But they do have a great fig repository and I am thankful for them and their research.   They grow figs just for research and genetics.  They are not the fig experts, we are.....everyone in this forum.  But we can help them with what we know about figs in our research.

It a nice fig bass , thanks for the pics

Howard at Davis wrote me today to reply to an email I sent last week, asking if he could help me identify a fig that I remembered from perhaps 45 years ago as I waited for my school bus and had figs at this time of year.  He said it sounded like Verdal Longue.  So now, this is on my "want list".  He said that he has tried to get the California Fig Commission interested in this fig but has been unsuccessful.

lovely fig. i think i MIGHT have one next year.

Pete, I've had a heck of a time over the years rooting VL cuttings. Late last year, I got a small tree and this year that dude was one of my fastest growers! The taste though is amazing and one of the best green figs. JV might have cuttings next year.

My Verdal Longue ,5 year sold now,had a lots of fruits this past Summer but only a couple got ripe ,and ,very late in November,and did not accumulate the  high sugar needed to have.
It is because our very hot August followed by very cold September,and October,with many cold rains.
I can estimate that it has a closed eye and dark red interior judging from the 2 ripe fruits I had.

dennis, 

i heard this is one of the best variety. i'm looking forward to it. it will be an air layer so.. no rooting required :)

I want it.  I need it. The fig of my childhood memories of waiting for the school bus at 6:15 in the morning.

Anyone have any Verdal Longue figs ripen for them yet this year? (2013)  If so, do they have the same great taste described above? I have some of these started, but don't think I have any fruits developing yet.

Good question:Mine have  2 dozen,n0ne ripe,a few dropped unripe.
It sure does not like the climate here!
I can,t blame it:
Fig tree does not like  swamp like day and night humidity and rain.

Howard at Davis told me that this fig ripens in winter.

I went out and found my VL plants today. They are in the 'fig forest' of potted young'uns. Compared to almost all the others growing there, they are not very vigorous. If they don't perk up over the coming year, I don't care how good they taste. There are so many other really good vigorous figs - and limited garden spots - I don't intend to have to baby a weak plant. Survival of the figgest.

My friend send me 3 figs plant from middle east. Name tag from mother plant Verdal. Not sure its the same as this Verdal Lonque.