- Joined
- Aug 30, 2021
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- 531
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ'๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐
Since the LSU fig varieties were bred for southern climates, they are among the most collected for dixie growers. But even northern fig lovers appreciate the LSU figs and grow them in containers, performing the fig shuffle, and even planting them in-ground. This is one of the earliest-producing figs in existence, but as a result of this figs do not get very big. This is not a fancy-pants gourmet fig; this is a fig designed for production, and lots of it. Not only do you get early figs, you get them all season as this fig tree continues to produce harvest after harvest while your other fig trees are just swelling up. This is a tree for aficionados who canโt wait for fig season to start, and want to get a taste of the sweetness ahead just a little bit early.
It all began back in the mid-1950โs, when Ed OโRourke joined the LSU Department of Horticulture as a fruit breeder. The program ended in the mid-60s. Due to its ability to thrive in the Louisiana climate, Celeste was selected as the primary female parentage for LSU bred fig varieties. The Hunt, a variety developed in Georgia in 1929, was also used. A caprifig from California was used as the male parent.
The Celeste fig is very highly regarded in the South and South-East as one of the best figs in the game. Next to Brown Turkey, Celeste is perhaps the most popular fig in the South and that is why it was chosen as one of the main female contributors to LSU's fig breeding program. Celeste is well known to be heat-tolerant, one of the more cold-hardy varieties, and produces earlier than many other figs grown in the South.
The Celeste (Malta) fig is small, brown to purple-colored fruits. The tree is large, vigorous, and very productive. Celeste usually does not have a Breba crop. Celeste has a tight closed eye which inhibits the entry of insects like ants or beetles. The eye remains green until the fig is almost ripe (unlike Brown Turkey). The closed eye protects against splitting and souring as well. This is especially welcome in those long, humid summers of the Deep South.
Has tendency to drop when immature, but grows out of it. The fruit is very resistant to souring in the Southern rains, which is another reason it was chosen by LSU. Celeste has excellent fresh dessert quality with a rich sweet flavor. It is an excellent processing fig, either frozen or processed as fig preserves. Do not prune mature Celeste trees heavily since this can reduce the crop on this variety.
๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ
This variety produces all of its crop in a short, small span of time. This makes it a very select choice for making fig preserves or dried figs, and as a result is considered a top-notch processing fig. When eaten fresh, it has hints of a tangy note. This variety makes a dark preserve and is processed as a specialty item. It is also an excellent home orchard variety for fresh and processed use. Leaves generally have three lobes but may have three to five lobes. The Celestial's leaves are big, capable of growing up to a foot long. Ripens early.
- Luscious Fruit
- Self-Fertile, No Pollinator Needed
- Closed-Eye Resists Souring
- Disease and Deer Resistant
- Wonderful in High Heat, Humidity, Coastal Conditions and Containers
- High Quality Early Season Main Crop
- Celeste Fig (Ficus carica 'Celestial') is one of the most widely planted Fig trees in the United States and with good reason. This Fig tree produces such sweet and delicious fruit that it often goes by its nickname, the "Sugar Fig".
- Withstands temperatures down to 10 degrees
- Yields huge quantities of high-quality figs Delicious, sweet fruit for preserves or eating fresh off the tree
- Resistant to most pests and diseases
๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ก
As Malta: (syns. Small Brown, Celeste, Celestial, Sugar, Blue Celeste, Celeste Violette). Described as Malta by Miller (1768), Hanbury (1770), Forsyth (1803), Brookshaw (1812, with color plate), Green (1824), George Lindley (1831), Holley (1854), M'Intosh (1855), Dochnahl (1855), and by Bunyard and Thomas (1904). Described as Celeste by Affleck (1850, 1852, 1854), White (1868), Massey (1893), Burnette (1894), Eisen (1885, 1897, 1901*),8 Earle (1900), Price and White (1902*), Starnes (1903*), Starnes and Monroe (1907), Anon. (1908), Van Velzer (1909*), Reimer (1910*), Potts (1917), Gould (1919*), Hume (1915*), W. S. Anderson (1924-1928), Mowry and Weber (1925), Woodroof and Bailey (1931*), Stansel and Wyche (1932), Woodard (1938, 1940), Ashley (1940), and Condit (1941a*, 1947*).
The identity of the Celeste fig, so widely grown in the southern United States, has long been in doubt. White (1868) suggested that it might prove to be the Malta described by previous authors. Others seem to have overlooked this suggestion, but a close comparison of descriptions of Malta and Celeste leaves no doubt of their identity. English writers reiterate the statement of Miller, that Malta shrivels on the tree and becomes a fine sweetmeat. Stansel and Wyche report that in Texas, Celeste will dry on the tree to some extent without souring. Bunyard and Thomas state that Malta ''is in all respects like Brown Turkey except in the shape of the fruits, which are shorter and of peg-top shape.'' Figue d'Automne or Celeste, listed by Ballon (1692), and Liger (1702), as bearing fruit which may remain on the tree during the winter and mature in the spring, is apparently a different variety.
Since the LSU fig varieties were bred for southern climates, they are among the most collected for dixie growers. But even northern fig lovers appreciate the LSU figs and grow them in containers, performing the fig shuffle, and even planting them in-ground. This is one of the earliest-producing figs in existence, but as a result of this figs do not get very big. This is not a fancy-pants gourmet fig; this is a fig designed for production, and lots of it. Not only do you get early figs, you get them all season as this fig tree continues to produce harvest after harvest while your other fig trees are just swelling up. This is a tree for aficionados who canโt wait for fig season to start, and want to get a taste of the sweetness ahead just a little bit early.
It all began back in the mid-1950โs, when Ed OโRourke joined the LSU Department of Horticulture as a fruit breeder. The program ended in the mid-60s. Due to its ability to thrive in the Louisiana climate, Celeste was selected as the primary female parentage for LSU bred fig varieties. The Hunt, a variety developed in Georgia in 1929, was also used. A caprifig from California was used as the male parent.
The Celeste fig is very highly regarded in the South and South-East as one of the best figs in the game. Next to Brown Turkey, Celeste is perhaps the most popular fig in the South and that is why it was chosen as one of the main female contributors to LSU's fig breeding program. Celeste is well known to be heat-tolerant, one of the more cold-hardy varieties, and produces earlier than many other figs grown in the South.
The Celeste (Malta) fig is small, brown to purple-colored fruits. The tree is large, vigorous, and very productive. Celeste usually does not have a Breba crop. Celeste has a tight closed eye which inhibits the entry of insects like ants or beetles. The eye remains green until the fig is almost ripe (unlike Brown Turkey). The closed eye protects against splitting and souring as well. This is especially welcome in those long, humid summers of the Deep South.
Has tendency to drop when immature, but grows out of it. The fruit is very resistant to souring in the Southern rains, which is another reason it was chosen by LSU. Celeste has excellent fresh dessert quality with a rich sweet flavor. It is an excellent processing fig, either frozen or processed as fig preserves. Do not prune mature Celeste trees heavily since this can reduce the crop on this variety.
๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ
This variety produces all of its crop in a short, small span of time. This makes it a very select choice for making fig preserves or dried figs, and as a result is considered a top-notch processing fig. When eaten fresh, it has hints of a tangy note. This variety makes a dark preserve and is processed as a specialty item. It is also an excellent home orchard variety for fresh and processed use. Leaves generally have three lobes but may have three to five lobes. The Celestial's leaves are big, capable of growing up to a foot long. Ripens early.
- Luscious Fruit
- Self-Fertile, No Pollinator Needed
- Closed-Eye Resists Souring
- Disease and Deer Resistant
- Wonderful in High Heat, Humidity, Coastal Conditions and Containers
- High Quality Early Season Main Crop
- Celeste Fig (Ficus carica 'Celestial') is one of the most widely planted Fig trees in the United States and with good reason. This Fig tree produces such sweet and delicious fruit that it often goes by its nickname, the "Sugar Fig".
- Withstands temperatures down to 10 degrees
- Yields huge quantities of high-quality figs Delicious, sweet fruit for preserves or eating fresh off the tree
- Resistant to most pests and diseases
๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ก
As Malta: (syns. Small Brown, Celeste, Celestial, Sugar, Blue Celeste, Celeste Violette). Described as Malta by Miller (1768), Hanbury (1770), Forsyth (1803), Brookshaw (1812, with color plate), Green (1824), George Lindley (1831), Holley (1854), M'Intosh (1855), Dochnahl (1855), and by Bunyard and Thomas (1904). Described as Celeste by Affleck (1850, 1852, 1854), White (1868), Massey (1893), Burnette (1894), Eisen (1885, 1897, 1901*),8 Earle (1900), Price and White (1902*), Starnes (1903*), Starnes and Monroe (1907), Anon. (1908), Van Velzer (1909*), Reimer (1910*), Potts (1917), Gould (1919*), Hume (1915*), W. S. Anderson (1924-1928), Mowry and Weber (1925), Woodroof and Bailey (1931*), Stansel and Wyche (1932), Woodard (1938, 1940), Ashley (1940), and Condit (1941a*, 1947*).
The identity of the Celeste fig, so widely grown in the southern United States, has long been in doubt. White (1868) suggested that it might prove to be the Malta described by previous authors. Others seem to have overlooked this suggestion, but a close comparison of descriptions of Malta and Celeste leaves no doubt of their identity. English writers reiterate the statement of Miller, that Malta shrivels on the tree and becomes a fine sweetmeat. Stansel and Wyche report that in Texas, Celeste will dry on the tree to some extent without souring. Bunyard and Thomas state that Malta ''is in all respects like Brown Turkey except in the shape of the fruits, which are shorter and of peg-top shape.'' Figue d'Automne or Celeste, listed by Ballon (1692), and Liger (1702), as bearing fruit which may remain on the tree during the winter and mature in the spring, is apparently a different variety.
