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Description
Holy Smokes is an exceptional fig variety discovered by Eric Durtschi in Southern California. The standout characteristics of this fig include:
- Skin: A smooth, velvet-like brown exterior that feels remarkably soft to the touch .
- Pulp: Delicate light-strawberry red flesh, dripping with honey and almost free of seed crunch.
- Flavor: Rapid initial honey richness, evolving into nuances of grape and strawberry, and delivering the classic “fig flavor” that many varieties lack.
- Fruit form: A traditional brown fig with subtle striations as it ripens.
- Brought to the public through figtree auctions and propagated via Air Layering (2022).
- Believed to be common-type, so it sets fruit reliably without pollination.
- Seller Chris Page highlights its abundance ("loaded with ripening figs") and suggests it carries Fig Mosaic Virus , which is common but not always detrimental.
🍈 Why Grow Holy Smokes?
A truly velvety-skin fig bursting with honey sweetness and fruit-dripping juice, Holy Smokes has quickly become a household favorite—especially among those who didn’t consider themselves fig lovers. Its velvety texture, near-seedless interior, and intense flavor make it a standout cultivar for fresh eating.
This one was a very cool find. The tree was loaded with ripening figs all dripping with honey. This is the first Brown fig that I’ve seen like this. They have pretty striations as it ripens as well. The interior is a light strawberry red and totally full of honey.
My very first impression when I picked the figs was how velvety soft the skin was. It feels like very soft smooth velvet. Very appealing textured skin. The flavor is honey right away that evolves to a mild sweet grape/strawberry. This is the first fig I’ve tried that also tasted like what I know of as “fig” flavor. Little seed crunch and a very soft skin. I picked enough for the whole family and they loved it. One of my daughters is picky about her figs and she went back for thirds with this one!! - Eric Durtschi
My very first impression when I picked the figs was how velvety soft the skin was. It feels like very soft smooth velvet. Very appealing textured skin. The flavor is honey right away that evolves to a mild sweet grape/strawberry. This is the first fig I’ve tried that also tasted like what I know of as “fig” flavor. Little seed crunch and a very soft skin. I picked enough for the whole family and they loved it. One of my daughters is picky about her figs and she went back for thirds with this one!! - Eric Durtschi
Ian Matthes: August 26, 2019
A friend in CA discovered an amazing fig tree on the grounds of a Catholic church. He luckily got permission to take a number of cuttings, and the tree was destroyed later in the year. The big question was whether this Unknown fig, dubbed “Holy Smokes!” was common (no pollination needed) or a Smyrna type, which needs the fig Wasp in CA. I picked my first ripe and “common” fig last night. The sugars were dripping from a skin crack and it was moist and delicious. Fast growing and prolific. Jam potential?
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