Last week I met a nice couple at my nephew's house in Healdsburg, 20 minutes from my place. They run a day care center. Anyway, the topic of figs came up (as you knew it would), and the woman mentioned how much the kids love the figs she picks all summer from a tree around the corner from her house. Black, sweet, juicy figs. She wished she had that tree at her house. I told her to talk with the owners of the tree, to see if we could get cuttings. She did, and the owners said take whatever we wanted. So, I loaded my shears, shovel, pots and soil into my truck, and off we went. The tree is by the side of the road, overgrown and neglected. I dug up several suckers and potted them up, wishing the figs were ripe, so that I could taste. I'm guessing it's a Mission, but I'm not sure. Looking 50 yards away, I see another good sized tree. I ask about it, and she says it's a white fig, and tastes awful. So we head back to her house, but wait... there's another one, and the owner is outside. We stop(you knew we would) and he says it's a tree his Italian grandfather planted 50-60 years ago. The figs are black and incredible he says. So, we got some small suckers potted up, including one for him, and started to leave. Don't you know, I spotted another fig tree in his next door neighbors yard, and it has really beautiful leaves with long fingers. The owners weren't home, so I'll be going back in the summer to visit them. I'm posting pictures of the trees, I hope you enjoy seeing them.                 

Awesome finds, Gary!  Any idea what the Italian 50 year-old tree was?  Definitely gotta go back for those in about two weeks or so.

Nate

Nice!  I think all of you who live in fig country should sell subscriptions to your finds  :)

I really enjoy hearing stories about tree "roots." Fifty-sixty years ago means likely right after the war. If you have any further contact with him, ask his grandfather's surname and which province and town he was from. I have a few trees with stories and always make sure to record their "provenance." Enjoy, and if any extras . . . .

Awesome - fig paradise! I live in the wrong state..

I think all your wonderful discoveries fall under the definition of "serendipity".  I hope, like Dale says, you can find out more about the birthplace of these figs.  To my way of thinking it adds to the history and appreciation of the fruit and the folks who tended to them. (maybe centuries)

Nate, the owner didn't know the name of the tree planted by his grandfather. He inherited the house from his aunt. Dale, the grandfather's name was Aladino Sbragia. I'll find out more about him later, as I've been invited back when the fruit is ripe. The owner would also like for me to come and prune the fig for him next winter. If the figs are as good as he said, there'll be plenty of cuttings to share. Here in Sonoma County, many of the original wineries were started by Italians, and so grapes, figs and olives seem to be everywhere. I also saw many huge pomegranates yesterday. Pattee, it's not just fig paradise here, and there's plenty of room for more nice folks! Happy Sunday all.

It's nice to find new unknown trees, learn about their history and meet the people who care for them. My late Aunt had an unknown variety from Italy, many people enjoyed the figs, but no one knew how simple it is to share the tree using cuttings. The neighbors will be happy to learn how to propagate their own figs. I look forward to seeing your report on the ripe figs, and to see if it can be identified. Mike in Hanover, VA

I Enjoyed your figs everywhere. I now notice a fig tree every time I see one in Tucson AZ.
This particular one I discovered last year.  The owner allows me to pick figs thankfully.
I sure wish it was at my house.  

Mr. Aladino Giovanni Sbragia arrived on 10 Feb 1921 from Capannori, Lucca Italy. He travelled on the ship Duca d'Aosta leaving Genoa to New York. Then moved California. He naturalized in 1962. @per Familysearch/Ancestry.com.
I bet he'd be very happy to see his fig doing well.
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=%09+Capannori%2C+Lucca&go=Submit&qs=bs&form=QBIR

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Capannori+LU/@43.8494503,10.3315843,78628m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x12d5812668db9929:0xd0587 197da23225e

Just amazing stories!  If only trees could talk . . .

A little Google search turned up Sbragia vineyard in Geyersville, Ca. and some Sbragia in Pittsburgh.  Nice work Lizzie B. Capannori is just between Florence and Pisa. It must be lovely now. Maybe not so when he immigrated.

Thank you Luise and Dale for adding to the story. Yesterday, I passed by another fig tree that I've had my eye on, and a man was in the driveway, so I stopped. Another Italian, name of Lunardi, born here 87 years ago. Great guy, we talked for 1/2 hour about fishing, garlic, tomatoes, and figs.He planted his fig 50 years ago, after rescuing it from his dad's house a few miles away. He told me it's a yellow fig inside, greenish outside. It is absolutely loaded with brebas. The main crop is smaller, and last year it produced 3 crops. He says they are delicious. I'm guessing it might be a Desert King? He said I should feel free to stop by anytime and pick all I want, and come get cuttings this winter. Pictures will be added when I go back to eat some figs with Joe. You meet the nicest people growing figs.

Gary

Agreed.  I have someone who is making an air layer from there 50 plus year old tree in Charlotte NC

Today I went to see how the figs in Healdsburg were doing. First is the Italian fig planted by Aladino Sbragia, 50-60 years ago. It is a wonderful fig, and ripening perfectly in the dry, warm weather we are enjoying. Fairly small figs, the largest one I weighed at 40 grams. Very dark, thin skin. Taste is heavenly. Sweet like honey/fig jam, not sugary. Crunchy with syrupy consistency, not juicy. A hint of honeydew melon flavor. I love this fig. There were a few that had fallen and landed on the top fence board, and were almost perfectly dried. It would be great to identify this one, but I am adding it to my collection regardless. For now, it's just Unk Italian AS. Please chime in with your thoughts on what it might be.        

Those are great, Gary.

I wonder if the awful-tasting white fig in the first post might be a caprifig.  Did you investigate it for that?  I said the same thing about my first capri discovery until Bass called me a dummy and made me realize what it was. ;)

No idea what they are but they look delicious. Nice find.

It must be nice to live where there is so many fig trees. I remember visiting San Diego three years ago and seeing fig trees everywhere. I remember a fig tree at the San Diego Zoo that is just huge and the figs that were on it were very large and green. I can't wait to go back to visit.

Thanks figherder and Harvey. Glad you asked about the white one, Harvey. I'd call it more yellow, and I think my friend hadn't tried a ripe one, because it's pretty tasty. Very small fruit, with a figgy flavor, and not too sweet. Very little seed crunch in these. A decent honey sort of fig, that I'm sure would be better with some irrigation and care. Any clues?       

Now to the tree that my friend said she wished was at her house (which it is now, thanks to successful sucker taking). There were a lot of nice figs, but I neglected to bring a ladder, so I couldn't reach many. Someone, probably my friend, had harvested all of the easily reached ones. I did get a few that weren't perfect, but I wanted to try this fig. Small figs. These are good. I almost taste apricot in them. The skin is somewhat dry and crunchy, and there is seed crunch too, in just the right amount. A bit more acidity on the tongue. Not overly sweet, which I like. Very chewy. Fig candy. This is a decadent fig. Does it look familiar to anyone?           I'm going back with my ladder.

Looks like a black mission.

Thanks Brian, that's what I thought when I first saw it, and I know that many Black Missions were planted in the area. Maybe that's it.

Im in black mission capital here in Fresno. That's identical to most of the trees here. Fruit is exact and leaf pattern is typical.

Black Mission for me too, that how they look further down from Fresno, in LA.

They look really nice, I had some Black Mission this year that were pretty good tasting.

Thats so cool to find so many figs around you.

Another tool that might be useful in  chasing down the origin of trees is a site that will show local concentrations of surnames anywhere on the globe: http://worldnames.publicprofiler.org/

This site can often yield entertaining and surprising results.

Good resource Dale, thanks for the connection.

Thanks to Luise, we know that Aladino Sbragia was from Cappanori, Lucca Italy. Being that the tree is about 50-60 years old, and from his home area of Italy, anyone of our Italian members have knowledge of dark figs from that area? I know that a positive ID is unlikely, but anything similar? Would anyone be interested in cuttings this winter, or are there already enough UNKs confusing things. I've started a couple for myself already, since it is local and really delicious. Thanks for any help in discovering more about the UNK Italian AS.

how can anyone say that they dont like figs?   My first hunt for other varieties let me to meet a lady named Pam in West Seattle. Her brother had hacked the tree to the ground, because every year she had to deal with the mess and she never ate one. I pulled some suckers, but they were too small and I don't know if they made it. I then focused on other more viable source for  cuttings.   Another lady chopped up this 10 feet wide and did not even save me a cutting. She said it was a "bad fig". 

Hopefully the new generation will apreciate this amazing trees. I keep on giving them away.  I placed an ad on craigslist and distributed the Adriatic/king (from my boss) to more than 20 people...

the pulp of that black (mission) looks  so delicious! I have a year old one. Maybe next year, it will let me taste its fruits.

I've been eyeing a huge tree sticking out of a backyard fence for about a year.  Was planning to get cuttings this winter when it went dormant.  Noticed this past week it's gone.  It had been there a few days before.  So sad.

Here in WI you see beautiful, productive apple trees and all of a sudden you see foot wide stumps.  And apples are $1.00 TO $2.50 a lb. I don't understand why folks don't put more value on the things that preserve good health and taste good also.  I love seeing all the trees and the fruit you've found and I am grateful that you are preserving their genetics.  Sounds so clinical so I'll say thank you for the folks that brought them over and hoped they would survive.

Gary,
Nice figs !
The black one, whatever it is has the looks of being pollinated.

Francisco

I agree, Greenbud, we need to maintain genetic diversity. We are losing it by the day. There was a lovely Yellow Delicious apple orchard of about 5-6 acres that was taken out last year in favor of wine grapes. The money is in the wine unfortunately.
James, next time maybe go for green cuttings?

I've got a Mystery Fig from Occidental California. Apparently Italian. It's still a wee pup. I also have a Craigslist Special that I bought in a fit of insanity. They keep my named varieties company. I tip my dishwater out the kitchen window on to them, much to the amusement of my neighbors. They're all doing well, despite the drought.

[QUOTE=figgary]Thanks to Luise, we know that Aladino Sbragia was from Cappanori, Lucca Italy. Being that the tree is about 50-60 years old, and from his home area of Italy, anyone of our Italian members have knowledge of dark figs from that area? I know that a positive ID is unlikely, but anything similar? Would anyone be interested in cuttings this winter, or are there already enough UNKs confusing things. I've started a couple for myself already, since it is local and really delicious. Thanks for any help in discovering more about the UNK Italian AS.[/QUOTE]



Bumping this to hopefully see if anyone has any ideas about this one. Also, lisascenic, I'd be interested in hearing about your mystery fig from Occidental. I live near there, and so far have only seen Desert King and Brown Turkey trees.

Gary, I'm home sick with sinus crud. When I'm back on my feet, I'll take done photos. Oddly enough, I have a desert king and what's surely a black mission. I have a tiny urban yard in Oakland and will have to prune these babies like crazy.

Hi all, I'm updating this post about the Unk Italian AS. Yesterday, I pruned the tree lightly for the owner, and thus, I have some cuttings to share. Hoping to come up with a possible ID on this fig, I contacted Herman2 for his thoughts. After seeing all of the photos of the tree, leaves, figs exterior and interior, as well as the growth tips of the branches, his opinion is that it most closely resembles Noire de Caromb. I do not have NdC, so I cannot compare side by side. I agree that the fruit looks just like the NdC photos I found on the web. So, it is a possibility. However, I will still call this Unk Italian AS (Aladino Sbragia) in honor of the man who brought this fig to Healdsburg from his home in Italy, 50-60 years ago. Perhaps some day, it can be positively ID'd. I have enough cuttings for 15 or so members. I will send 3 for $5.00 shipping only. Please e-mail me if you would like to try it. It was one of the 3 best figs I got to taste last year, it is hard to imagine a much better one. The photos of the ripe fruit were taken on September 13. My pp address is pennington_gary@msn.com If you need to use snail mail, contact me for address. I ask that you label it as Unk Italian AS. Thanks!        

Hi Gary, very generious offer. Reread the entire post and love the history to the Unk Italian AS. I'll take an order.

Nice find! Thanks for the offer.

Hi Gary, thanks for the generous offer. I sent you an email, let me know if you have any packages available. Thanks again.

Those look awesome, pm sent.

6 gone, 9 to go.

Email sent. I hope I am not too late. Thanks.

Email sent,thank you for being generous.

Hi Gary
This is so up my alley, looks beautiful whatever it is
Count me in, Thanks

3 left. I will ship Monday 2/2, unless you are concerned with cold where you are.

That's all for now. I'll update if there are any left. Thanks everyone.

I am late, damn it :(

Kind offer, Gary.   Nice that you found a donor tree from you wishlist!  Any crumbs left for an early bird ?
;)