I don’t see them that often. This one is in a tight corner. But I do get bees, lots of them.
I do not know if they are the same or different figs.
The Godfather fig is reported to have red skin and gold/amber inside color.
Then we have a larger group of figs like your “Red Sicilian”. They include:
Aldo
Brooklyn Dark
Malta Purple Red
Sal’s Corleone (Godfather fig?)
Scicilian Red
Black Triana
I have an unknown that I carried for several years. Last year it fruited the first time. It turned out to be the Black Triana if we so believe it. The color is very dark, dark purple or close to black. It is good fig. The only thing is that, it is a rather mid-to-late season fig. It is better to grow in container since it can split in late season with the moisture. It sure can be an excellent fig if it gets any early start.
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To me, Harvey’s fig is the same fig you have. It is clearly a LdA type of fig. Palm/finger leaf, long pale green/red fig.
This fig is not the original Belleclare Sport in Martha’s video back years ago. That fig is much darker. And leaf shape is different too.
So the question is what it is defined as “sport” of a fig tree? Some trees come out of Belleclare nurseries.
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Souadi fig. Only got few from potted plant with winter damage. It is quite a late for this fig and size is bigger somehow from last year.
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I have several coming soon. I’ve never tried one, what do you think of it?
I really like it! It think it’s right up there with other great “Adriatic” types like White Madeira #1. But, this is the first one I’ve had in 2 years, my tree took last year off for some reason. I was really excited to have these start ripening again
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I own ‘Malta Purple Red’ and it’s figs are different than what the red Sicilian kind are said to be like. Considering that most people don’t grow ‘Malta purple red’, I think that people are going just based upon appearance of fig, then again the ‘Malta Purple Red’ figs are not reddish, and have been in taste compared to St. Jerome, to Italian 258, and to Black Madeira,
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If you Google Malta Purple Red fig, you’ll see what I’m talking about. I do not want to post other people’s photos. I do not own this fig. But some people own it.
As we all know, fig naming is a mess. There are so many synonyms etc…
People can keep debating all day, all weeks which is which.
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Here is the Google link:
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As you know figs look different in different climates, even on the same tree on the same year, and on the same crop they can look different as the weather changes. The same thing with taste. The only way to truly compare them is for 3 or more years on the same property. Also yes people assuming makes things a huge mess, adding to the name confusion. Also some people consider ‘mount etna’ a flavor type, while the original meaning of ‘mount etna’ was about the entire tree, not about the fruit’s flavor.
Maybe Belleclare had more than one ‘sport’, it would not surprise me if they did.
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When a tiny portion of a plant is temporally different than normal due to that tiny part of the plant’s dna being temporally different, a sport as it’s called can then be taken, if you cut off that different part and root it, then the change stays permanent, yet if the plant was just let be the whole plant would go back to normal.
To me, Mt. Etna means all the physical characteristics of a group of fig trees. It is loosely grouped, not scientifically. Some say the DNAs can be different. Who cares? They all have the thick hairy leaves, medium size red, brown or purple figs with berry inside color. Flavor is very strong figgy berry flavor. Some say the unknown Reservoir belongs to Mt. Etna. Maybe.
Same thing with other fig groups. “Adriatic”, LdA, etc. And this Sicilian Red group…
My FIRST EVER home grown fig!! A Black Mission which I had purchased from Fruitwood Nursery pre-rooted in 2020. Obviously I have very little to compare to, but I’d rate it a 6.5/10. Definitely ripe, but I think it will take a few years for me to get the ideal picking time down. Many more to follow in the coming weeks.
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That is what we assume. But in this case, “Belleclare Sport”. Belleclare is the name of the owner of the nursery. As far as I know, several figs have “Belleclare” in their names. We do not know from where this “sport” comes from.
This fig is not the original “Belleclare Sport” in Martha’s video anyhow. Just an empty name…
Congrats on your first home grown fig! People who don’t grow fruit cannot understand how exciting it is to see the final product after all your work and anticipation.
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Thank you! It really is a great feeling and a worthwhile effort.
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