Hi. I'm new to forum and need at bit of help. I live in northern Tennessee just barely into zone 7. I have a 10 -12 year old tree which was sold to me as a Chicago Hardy but obviously is not. It froze off a few times when small so looks more like a 12 ft high bush than a tree. Most years it does not freeze off now and I get a heavy breba crop (well over 100 figs this year) late June-early July and another smaller crop mid-late September. Figs are green yellow when ripe and pulp is amber colored with just hint of reddish. I'm not good at comparing to other varieties tastes, but it is sweet and juicy and we love it. I doubt it is anything exotic- I'm thinking maybe kadota?
The Fig Spot
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fig identification
- Thread starter jas
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- Aug 30, 2021
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What I can tell you is it appears to be an adriatic-type fig. Adriatic type figs all look very, VERY similar and require fine detail to distinguish. Even the taste is very, very close. No matter what, you've got your hands on a fantastic fig!
If you send us photos next season, we'll be able to hunt more information down for you. Nothing to do with fruit trees is particularly fast
Can take a few years to get answers.
I appreciate all ideas and comments. I looked up pictures and it might be a possibility. My only concern is that my pulp is more amber than red and most pictures I've seen of Desert King look pretty red. Are there variations in pulp color?
Is it even possible it could be a kadota? I found pictures of them with the tiny white spots too. Anybody out there grow kadota ? I'm so far north (7A- borderline 6B) that I'm thinking it has to one of hardier varieties to have survived this long with no winter protection. I'm growing out some Desert King cuttings sent to me , so I guess I will see as they mature.
Is it even possible it could be a kadota? I found pictures of them with the tiny white spots too. Anybody out there grow kadota ? I'm so far north (7A- borderline 6B) that I'm thinking it has to one of hardier varieties to have survived this long with no winter protection. I'm growing out some Desert King cuttings sent to me , so I guess I will see as they mature.
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The thing that makes it harder is that a Kadota or DK in my climate is going to look different than one in your climate. Figs are very, VERY sensitive. Coloration like amber/red variation is hard to pinpoint exactly for this reason. Less red could also indicate less ripe. IDK, a lot of variables going on there. I have an israeli 7 that produces both deep red AND amber colored flesh depending on how much rain we've had.
Thanks, that makes sense. I know that is true of many other things, and I'll keep that in mind going forward. I've gotten figs from this tree/bush for several years in different weather and occasionally didn't remember pick soon enough and let them get way too ripe and rot and I've never seen anything redder than amber flesh. I have a Violet de Bordeaux and it is a deep red even in my more northern climate. I'm going to look harder at leaf shape too.
I'm coming to think I may never know for sure what it is. I guess that is okay but I feel bad trading it if I can't give it an accurate name. It is huge and I could take several dozen more cuttings. I've been pleased with the performance in my climate on the north end of Middle Tennessee., but I suspect a lot of people would not care to trade for an "unknown" ? It can't be anything too exotic. I bought it many years ago at a large nursery and it was labeled "Chicago Hardy." But it seems that it was mislabeled. I'll try again with more detailed photos next year.
I'm coming to think I may never know for sure what it is. I guess that is okay but I feel bad trading it if I can't give it an accurate name. It is huge and I could take several dozen more cuttings. I've been pleased with the performance in my climate on the north end of Middle Tennessee., but I suspect a lot of people would not care to trade for an "unknown" ? It can't be anything too exotic. I bought it many years ago at a large nursery and it was labeled "Chicago Hardy." But it seems that it was mislabeled. I'll try again with more detailed photos next year.
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2021
- Messages
- 531
Sounds good. Yeah, that's definitely not a Chicago Hardy.
As far as unknowns... it depends. Izmir NOT is a favorite of some people, and all we really know about it is it's not Izmir. My Israeli 7 and Oak St Unk are both unknowns, and they sell pretty good, The thing about an Unk is that you as the distributor need to document things like flavor, color, seed crunch, size, weight, any characteristics you've noticed, etc. If you can do that, you can identify a market, then appeal to them.
I feel the same way as you about names, btw, but I was told in no uncertain terms that this isn't how the fig community does things, and we're too inflexible to change. Apparently DNA testing is the only acceptable solution to this community, and that's not a solution because it can't confirm whether or not two figs are the same, only if they're NOT the same. In other words, the bar is set too high intentionally because reasons.
Want to read more about those reasons? Check here and here.
As far as unknowns... it depends. Izmir NOT is a favorite of some people, and all we really know about it is it's not Izmir. My Israeli 7 and Oak St Unk are both unknowns, and they sell pretty good, The thing about an Unk is that you as the distributor need to document things like flavor, color, seed crunch, size, weight, any characteristics you've noticed, etc. If you can do that, you can identify a market, then appeal to them.
I feel the same way as you about names, btw, but I was told in no uncertain terms that this isn't how the fig community does things, and we're too inflexible to change. Apparently DNA testing is the only acceptable solution to this community, and that's not a solution because it can't confirm whether or not two figs are the same, only if they're NOT the same. In other words, the bar is set too high intentionally because reasons.
Want to read more about those reasons? Check here and here.
Thank you, I read the links. I don't have an desire to mess in "politics" or fuss with other people . It's only a hobby for me and I may not ever sell, but I would not mind trading a bit after I understand what's going on. I generally keep my garden stuff well labeled. I only have 8 fig trees that have produced fruit so far (plus some babies) but everything else seems true to label. I think I vastly underestimated the varieties of figs out there. I originally assumed there were no more than 6 -8 varieties that would do okay without winter protection in my 6B/7A climate and it shouldn't be that hard to figure out which one I had. Live and learn.
