Looking over my growing fig collection I am seeing a growing number of unknown figs.  Most of these given by friends who cherished them and passed them on in good faith.

I feel somewhat responsible for them now and have no plans to get rid of them at least until the figs have a chance to show their stuff.  I am confident most if not all will be very nice figs with unique tastes and characteristics.

I am curious as to how many unknowns others are growing and their thoughts going forward with these figs.

 

 I have one unknown growing in-ground that I found myself a couple years ago, and I have 3-6 unknowns in the process of rooting.  They came from different members, and my fingers are crossed that they will do good and produce delicious figs.  They will be potted their first year if rooting is successful, and planted in-ground when dormant.

Suzi

Define "unknown."

I have at least 15 or more unknown varieties. Most all of them I found local.
The nice thing is they are the plants that give me the most figs.

I have 37 Unknowns with a list of 25 houses marked on a map that I need to knock at to ask for cuttings. It's pretty easy to find trees around me by just driving around with your eyes open. Once you start looking for them you start to see them everywhere.

I try to avoid them...maybe 4?

2 out of my 3 in ground trees are "unknowns" -- I think they are Texas Everybearing and Brown Turkey but who really knows as they came from established trees. Also, I have 2 more unknown varieties I am starting now; a yellow and a green. The two already in the ground make nice figs, I plan to keep them. The 2 kinds of cuttings I'm starting are on hope, if they don't turn out so well, I can throw them out with nothing lost.

I have thought about getting some more cuttings from bushes in town, but this year I will have my hands full of named cultivars if all my cuttings take.

AD that is sooooooo true once I got bit by the fig bug I see them EVERYWHERE there almost impossible to miss.

[QUOTE=ADelmanto]...by just driving around with your eyes open. Once you start looking for them you start to see them everywhere. [/QUOTE] I have this affliction as well. I have 4 unknowns.

1 offered from Sal last year. Maybe Double Header
3 (and a lot of cuttings) from a local tree in Irving, TX.  Maybe LSU Gold.
1 from someone my sister knows. Calling it Unknown Stanmore Green for now.
1 from family tree.  Calling it Mammaw (probably celeste or brown turkey, haven't seen the fruit)
2 from Rochelle Street (Irving, TX).  2 different houses, so could be 2 different cultivars, but probably the same.

I have cuttings off of Ebay that I'm rooting called Dora's Delight.  No telling what it really is.  Have some Dominick's cuttings that I haven't started yet.

I think that's all.

few. not too many. i started collecting figs that were sais to be good, named varieties. then more commonly available varieties. recently i started collecting unknowns.

I have 5.
One sent was to me as an added bonus in a trade.
One sent with a name that turns out not to be what it was supposed to be - wrong color.  But originally from a reputable seller, so it must be something. 
One I collected locally that turned out to be a caprifig.
And two that came to me with names, but sometime in the rooting/transplanting/growing, the labels got lost.

I'm not especially fond of acquiring total unknowns. I devote so much time and attention to my figs, I prefer to know what they are.

None.

Unknown.

Last count I had 8 unknowns most of which are very close to Hardy Chicago. I hate to get rid of them so they're here to stay.

6

Besides the unknown Pearl Harbor fig, every one I forgot to put a label on the cup; about 6.  Dang it!
Aloha all around!

Nate

Actually i would never think i would want to name a fig before i eat it.

now its of utmost importance to keep a tree labeled and to know its origins-its part of the journey of fig growing also to uncover the unknowns...

Dale: "define "unknown""

That is one of the questions I was looking to see ideas on this thread.

When I started the unknown fig to me was that nice fig down the street producing delicious figs and taken care of by that old man who when asked what is the name of the fig said it is a black fig and the one down there is a white fig and then went back to his chores.

Now in addition I know there are figs that are accidently mislabeled or labels are lost, or figs that are named in error etc.

But I think there is another issue where there are so many figs with so many synonyms and the fig names reflect the source region/person of the name not necessarily the fig which may be known by some other name elsewhere. 

I have no idea where I am going with this except that I notice that many of the unknown figs seem to grow better and are just as delicious as some of the famous ones.  I don't want to see unknowns get a bad rap. 
Maybe there should be a agreed protocol to name worthwhile unknowns?

Pino I have 4 unknowns, one is my oldest fig, I brought from Italy. Also, three more I collected here around my neighborhoods based on their particular qualities, nice fruit, nice breba crop, etc. Two are just babies, in one gallon pots waiting for spring. They are unknowns and likely to remain that way-I find that unless the plant has dead ringer markers, it becomes very difficult to ID, at least by members on this forum. Even my italian unknown, I have sent pics to Italy via email and no one ever responds. Too many varieties, too many variables.

I haven't emphasized unknowns very much due to space considerations and the desire to trial known varieties with great reputations.  But here are a couple with temporary names.  Note that I haven't tasted fruit from these yet.

Unknown Mai's  - obtained from forum member Tam; was growing at a house in Silver Spring, MD owned by some ethnic Portuguese folks (see post: http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/show_single_post?pid=1277594649&postcount=10)

Unknown Delonibus Black - also obtained through Tam who got it from Al in Bethesda, MD who obtained it from someone in Germantown, MD - it is supposed to resemble a Sicilian Black (which is itself a pretty generic designation)

Unknown Verna's purple - I obtained this from a lady named Verna in Sliver Spring, MD; I actually failed at propagating this one but sent cuttings to a couple forum members and they succeeded; so hopefully we will see this posted on the forum later this year and possibly identified

Joe,

   Agreed. and beyond that, if it's been traced to a certain place, like someone's back yard, or some province in Italy or Turkey and then labeled after someone, some place or some thing, is it still an "unknown"? When does it become not and "unknown"? 

Hi,
Call it label hysteria. Here and around the Mediterranean coasts no one cares for names especially the elder ones.
-Line2:- When asked they'll ask you: " Will it fill your stomach to have a name when you're hungry ? ..."

Even here, a  bit north, I bought a small tree last year at a local one day street market - So I was full of hope to have the exact name. But after 5 minutes talking to the guy I gave up.
All he told me was that the tree just wants to produce, and to make a big hole and replace all the dirt with compost for drainage purposes.
He had a photo of a fig supposedly from that strain ... I would guess Brunswick ... But the tree is still small and I haven't found good photos of Brunswick .

I currently have 6 unknown - the ufti/unknown from the Italian , the one from the street market, 2 that should produce this year that where traded by a friend against some ufti rooted suckers, one planted in 2013 that might have survived the winter, and one from cuttings rooting in compost - some ethnic BT strain I would guess.
I have two other named strains which names where not known from me - "Campaniere" ... Someone knows that ?... Well, I'll test it :) anyway .
And I have some 20 seedlings :P - they might turn to be true to ufti or be even darker and bigger and making 4 figs per node :) and making fruits filled with gold ! .

Around my garden, except the BrownTurkey strain that I can spot and a panache, I see lots of unknown Ethnic strains - I won't even ask for names... I know the answer ... see line 2 .
I spoked to a french neighbor, and he told "I got it from a Portuguese" ... In general that's the names you get when you ask. Where the hell, that Portuguese gardener did have it might be the 100 bucks question...

26!!!!! UKN's Last spring, I went to MT. For calving season. My sister-in-laws dog got into my back room and GNAWED on ALL of my figs trees and cuttings from the F4F Foundation, UC Davis & eBay. Maybe 70+ cuttings and figletts that I had just up-potted. She managed to save 26. But she didn't or couldnt put them back in the correct pots and cups. So now I have 'MYSTERY FIGS'. She stuck 3 or 4 figs into 2 five gal. Pots. So now i am just going to braid them (pleach) and see what happens. As for the others I'll just have to wait until they produce and guess what the heck thay are.

Cody, What a nightmare!  BUT you are taking it in stride!  I have a few like that, and once they produce figs, I'll post photos of the leaf and fig here, and get the ID.  Those are only unknown to those of us who have lost the tags, but there are "true" unknowns.  Probably most "unknowns" are seedlings or a cutting somebody brought from a friend or family.

I'm very excited about one unknown.  MacArthurs Park posted it in the forum, and I just received several beautiful fresh cuttings.  I have NEVER seen a fig with a pale pink interior prior to his find, so the intrigue and mystery has my attention!  Just ordered a fresh block of New Zealand Sphagnum to root these in, and they will get 4 opportunities to root.  Most in Sphagnum, A couple in ground like my fav old Greek does, some in paper towels and cinnamon, and two in my bra for body heat (that's a new one for ya)!

I really want to taste that pale pink flesh!  It may ripen and be served in a salad alongside my pink tropical guava!  YUMM!!

Suzi

I have 4 unknowns. one from last year that I recently put in a 5 gal bucket. Poor thing, the pot got knocked over about 20 times, dog gnawed on it. For got to water it in 110 degree heat. BUT its still kickin!! One from my dad from a really old tree in Palestine, TX. I didn't think this one was going to root, but it has the most vigorous roots of all my cuttings now. and 2 other unknowns my mom brought back from Arkansas from her recent visit. They came from my grandmother's friend whose late husband planted the trees 15 yrs ago. I did finally get a root on one of them. The one unknown that I really really want to get has been in our family for 60+ yrs. The tree is in AR unprotected and neglected. My mom didn't get a chance to get any cuttings this trip, but hopefully next trip. Its something I think of like a family heirloom (to me at least). I like the idea of unknowns. You never know what your gonna get. Might be something good (or not) but I like the mystery of it :)

Jenn!  You nailed it!  It's the mystery!  We love the unknowns because the story could end in "murder" or "a new kingdom!!"  We like to plant and watch and wait.  We hope for the new kingdom, but we know it might end up in murder.  We just hope the murder doesn't occur during rooting stage, prior to us tasting figs from our unknowns!

Suzi

All of mine are unknowns.  I have yellow, green, brown, black, and purple that people have identified as something and I have them labeled as such, but truth be known, I am not smart enough to know any better.

I do not ask my trees for their pedigrees, as they did not ask for mine.

I am really a "haver" not a collector so I really don't care beyond a simple curiosity.  I only ask that they be strong enough to overcome my misdeeds, produce figs, and survive our marginal weather.

those of you that have "known" me for a while should remember that this is Danny's home for unwanted, under performing, ugly figs, I turn none away.

There is a very common name for fig trees found around here, when I have asked the owner, "what kind of fig is that?" the most common answer is...."A good'un, been having that tree for a long time".
there was one guy that said " it's one of those big ugly blue figs, I hate it, I want a Brown Turkey"  I don't know what it is either, but it lives here now, and he has a Brown Turkey, we are both happy.

I haven't counted how many unknowns I have, but I seem to have a habit of converting "knowns" to "unknowns" by posting pictures of them on this forum!!!!  I'll post pictures of, say, a Hardy Chicago, and everyone will invariably say "That's not Hardy Chicago!  We don't know what it is, but we know it isn't Hardy Chicago!" ;-)  I was happy in my ignorance!  (Not that I'm not happy to know that they aren't what they are...or were.)
Jim

dirtexas, you got street smarts, and that's all that counts!

Please cross your fingers for that pink thing unknown I got recently!  I have seen red interiors, yellow interiors, peach interiors, but never pink! 

I WILL this unknown to grow!

Hey how are those crazy wine grape vines doing?

Vines have a mind of their own, and they do need taming!

Suzi

@Suzi - we had about 100% rooting of the grapes, waiting to see how many survive the winter.

Danny, grapes are like figs!  Weeds!

Amazing we are all so much in awe of weeds!

Oh, I have a weed that sent us to emergency... Well it looked like an Amaranthus, big and the leaves were tasty, until I sauteed a bunch of them in garlic and we were in heaven until we couldn't see with fuzzy eyes and muscle cramps.  Yep the emergency truck helped us into their abode while they gave us an IV to clear out the poison. 

Just be clear.  DO NOT THINK A LARGE WEED IS EDIBLE!

Suz

All of my figs are unknown.  I only have 2 well-established in-ground bushes, which are 40 years old.  The figs are delicious.  We had perfect fig weather in 2013, and I harvested my best crop ever - over 900 figs from the 2 bushes.  I dried a lot of them, and have been enjoying them all winter. 

Bob - S Central PA

[QUOTE=bob17257]All of my figs are unknown.  I only have 2 well-established in-ground bushes, which are 40 years old.  The figs are delicious.  We had perfect fig weather in 2013, and I harvested my best crop ever - over 900 figs from the 2 bushes.  I dried a lot of them, and have been enjoying them all winter. 

Bob - S Central PA[/QUOTE]

Wow 900 figs from in ground trees in PA

Do you cover them in the winter?

What color are the figs on the inside and outside?

Rich - Attached is a picture of the figs.  They are pink on the inside.  I gave them winter protection for the first 25 years using wire cages filled with shredded oak leaves.  I stopped doing that 15 years ago.  I honestly don't think the winter protection made much difference on the survivability of the old growth.  If we had an exceptionally cold winter I lost a lot of old growth whether protected or unprotected.  It did make a difference on damage from the rabbits, however.  We had a heavy snow pack this winter, and the rabbits chewed a lot of bark from the bushes.  I won't have such a large crop this year. 

Bob

@Bob -Your picture look a lot like my Smith, never been quite sure what mine is but that was what someone told me it was.

I have 8 unknowns but have yet to get fruit from any as they were planted this last year.

So many fig unknowns with their own story. 

Many times the story and new fig character becomes the name (i.e. paradiso).

11  unknowns.  Many of my unknowns are better performers than my knowns.  The unknowns come with a story the majority of the time and are usually free.