When I first started selecting figs for my yard in Tucson, I figured I wouldn't have any need for more than five varieties. However, the list kept morphing and expanding as I talked to different people and read various threads, but I didn't have much of a plan beyond wanting only closed-eye or otherwise insect-proof figs. Now I see that I'm a little light on the black/purple varieties, and would appreciate any suggestions for the 3-4 "must have" dark types that you think would be best in a hot, dry area with infrequent but inevitable hard freezes.

Consider

Gino's Black
Hardy Chicago
LSU Scott's Black
MVSB
Sal's EL

and a bit more difficult to acquire

Black Bethlehem
Dark Portuguese
Kathleen Black
Malta Black
RdB
Vista

Black Celeste
Malta Black
Beall
Ronde de Bordeaux
Gino
Marseillies VS
Cul du Ruc
Noir de Caromb
Kathleen Black
Col de Dame Noir
Genovese Nero
Vista
Native Black
GM #5(Maltese Falcon)
Negra D'Adge
Negretta
Valle Negra
Gypsy(Zingarella)
Sal's EL

Not sure whether they will be ideal for your zone Ken. I think these are some of the much sought after dark figs.

Great ideas from JD and Paul.

Or, you can have one spray painted and shipped direct from TYTY. Glitter extra.

All Jokes aside. I think it was at Jons or Adrianos place ( I know, two different Worlds ) I tried the RDB and the taste was out of this World!

Im almost speechless.

C'mon guys leave some for moi, the more you  like em the longer i have to wait to get some types !

Just keep eating the those light color ones.

; )~
 

I will throw in DFIC17 Brown Turkey as worth a try. Jon rates it below BM but it should be hardier and is a low/spreading grower that can shade its roots well. It is my best tasting fig so far, but I have added several of the other recommendations recently and I hope that changes next year.

@Alan. MVSB = Marsellies VS Black. 'Discovered' and named by VS b.k.a. Herman2.

Ken,

You and I have similar taste. I only grow 12 varieties and I actually have all of your dark varieties except for the Brown Turkey. Being from the North originally I have a soft spot for Hardy Chicago (which grows really well for me here in AZ).

Have you tried Jose's Socorro Black? Discovered in your region, I would think it is well suited. Mine has a trunk larger around than my thumb this year and has finally formed fruit. I'm anxious to taste.

Thanks, everybody, for the recommendations. BUT--I have to say you didn't exactly help me narrow down the choices very much! Should I assume that all of these suggested varieties are clustered pretty close to each other on the taste chart, or are there a few that rank well above the others?

Ken,

Love your sense or humor! LMAO

Just keep some room for another one. Will tell you about it once I get it ( again ).
Had a bunch of cuttings and gave them away. Have 2nd batch coming real soon. Never forgot about you my friend. I picked names at random with the first batch. You will be on the 2nd batch.

And yes, It is sort of dark. So to speak, ahmm.

Thanks Rafed--and that "pale" fig still has your name on it as well. It will show up at your door in the spring, bare-rooted, or much earlier as a leafy hitch-hiker, if any ficus-powered Big Rigs happen to be passing through the neighborhood.

 Ken these things people say are embedded in my memory .

But just say the word, and I'll make up any losses to you by sending some of the white varieties I know you're so fond of! Mmmmm!

I just added you to that list of folks
" Kindly say no too "

Martin! You're breaking my heart!

Here is what Herman had to say about eyes on GW-

"Totally closed eye does not exist!
_Some figs have when ripe a very small open eye wich measure,from:.5 to 1 mm. They stop insects from going in .EX:Celeste,Gino's fig,Mission,Malta black,143-36,Scott's black,LSU Purple
These are usually refered as closed eye varieties.
_Then there are small eye varieties,wich have an eye from 1 to 2 mm ,and solid interior,EX:Verte,Hardy Chicago,Sal (both),Marseilles vs black,Stela,Paradiso Gene,Atreano,Tacoma violett,etc
Almost no souring, Only in the haviest,rain,and only very few,and far apart.Insects do not get in.
_And third come the open, large eye,that is open only at the surface and solid,(interior) immediatelly after about 1mm deep.
These are just as good in rainy climates as closed eye fig.
EX:English Brown Turkey,DFIC 17 ucd,Guilbeau,Sweet Georg, Weeping Fig,Late Black
_The forth is the open eye that closes down before ripe with a plug of clear amber. Also doing well in rain.
EX:Alma,LSU Gold
=====================================
_Last,are the open eye figs,that have large eye and a large interior cavity,that comunicates with the entrance hole.
These are very bad in rainy climates.
EX:Brunswick,California Brown Turkey.Will sour very easily from any small precipitation,or humid day.

Insects will get inside any time trough the eye.
Fig black beetle love this type of fruits to congragate inside."

I believe California BT is the same as improved BT, but could be wrong. Herman has had DFIC17 fruiting longer than me so he would know better.

Hi Brent, I had Cal. BT and have Imp. BT, the latter is amber flesh with nice flavor and sweetness kind of ablong instead of round and insipid, bought it at
HDepot 4 years ago. Sergio in NJ.

One day when Martin and his big dog are sleeping I will sneak into the yard and replace couple of his dark figs to white ones.

And maybe eat a couple of his ripe figs too. I will leave him a thank you note.

Rafed, remember to send buddy in PNW some rare Martin cuttings. LOL.

Paul,

You are always on my list, you know that.

What's confusing is that a fig eye can be closed by its natural skin and by its covering scales. It can also be closed by resin and/or by honey. And that honey can be either a liquid or it can be solid. A "naturally" (i.e. not due to honey) blocked eye is always closed (permanent) to the entrance of insects.  However, a honey blocked eye sometimes is often only temporarily blocked as a heavy rain or a time frame of consistent light rains......can dissolve away the honey that is keeping those insects out. Liquid honey dissolves faster than solid honey......so "solid" honey blocked eyes can keep insects out longer during certain rainy periods than can "liquid" honey blocked eyes.

I like to use the term "blocked" and "closed' to distinguish that there is a difference between the two. Accordingly, LSU Purple has a naturally "closed' eye. While LSU Gold and Golden Celeste AP have honey "blocked" eyes.


Dan
Semper Fi-cus

Dan, would that mean the "blocked" eye only gets sealed up once it's already pretty ripe? I've been finding that the beetles go inside as soon as the fig swells, but still several days before it's ripe. I hope that doesn't mean they'll ruin LSU Gold--I've been really looking forward to that one because the descriptions all sound so good.

OK UC Davis does say DFIC 17 is susceptible to insects, I guess they just chew into the solid center, or the fig is not as solid in a drier climate or something. I will pay attention to what the eyes look like this year here.

Fig eyes are a study in itself.......as it can affect both splitting (not talking about surface cracking) and souring (from insects carrying yeast and bacteria). Skin qualities (thickness and elasticity) matter too. Most fig eyes start out "closed" then open up as the fig matures. Exactly "when" the eye opens up during the ripening process can make a big difference.

For example........St. Jerome is a great tasting fig that can split and sour during heavy rains. However, this fig can still produce some very good figs in my yard. The "secret" is to know when to pick those figs. The skin on a St. Jerome figs will surface crack (not split)  as soon as it is good to eat. At that stage of ripeness the eye is usually naturally bocked by the scales. The figs will taste good at this point. So pick them early if rainy weather is in the forecast. However, if rain is not in the forecast, let them remain on the tree for a few more days. The eye will definitely open up and the eye will still remain blocked now by liquid honey. This honey blockage still will keep souring insects out and the figs will become excellent tasting at this stage of ripeness. It can handle "light" rain at this point.  However, the liquid honey in combination with the the now large open eye is no match for heavy rains. Rain will dissolve that honey away which then allows souring insects to enter the open eye and infecting the interior with yeast and souring bacteria.

IMO, my first crop Atreano figs open their eye much too soon in my yard. It opens early and allows insects to enter "before" the honey has concentrated. The concentration of sugars at this stage is very low....so yeast and souring bacteria that is on the bodies of those insects actually do their damage BEFORE the fig is even close to ripening. If the concentration of sugars were high at that point......the yeast and souring bacteria could not grow. They cannot grow when the sugar content is high enough.


FYI, I have never had such an issue with LSU Gold. It handles rains quite well and does not ever have any insect entrance problems. IMO, it has perfect elastic skin qualities that prevent any splitting....and always has enough honey of high sugar content to seal the small eye entrance.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus  

Dan, thanks for the explanation. It sounds pretty complex--clearly not an "open and shut case" if the same variety can vary, depending on which crop you're looking at. I'm pleased to know LSU Gold still sounds like a winner.

You stated it perfectly Ken.

Pay attention to my posts and those of Herman2 to find out those cultivars that do well in our mutual rainy climates.......and they should do well for trials in your area. We both are searching for rain tolerant and bug resistant figs.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus 

Will do--I'll compare the list of recommendations in this thread to those that worked well for you and Herman, and see what looks the most promising.