Sure! Hit me up around December as that’s when my trees start to go dormant, although many do not go dormant until mid-January.
Yeah fingers crossed on this one as it sounds so interesting. While I do not have the wasp right around me, they are in a tree not too far from me. I have one capri-fig that I’m trying to grow, so maybe in a year or so I can establish my own colony.
The capri-fig is behind a bank, so I don’t want to wander around it too often or they may have it removed.
I think what is special about the California seedlings is they most often lack the standard figgy flavor most figs have. A lot of seedlings are not all that good, some are pretty good, and a very small percentage are excellent, more complex and rich, and have flavors uncharted, compared to the common figgy flavored figs most of us are used too. I used to think VDB and Panache were my favorite figs, totally great tasting figs. After trying some of the best seedlings here I do not want to eat those excellent rated figs. We will see what Boysenberry Blush is like unpolinated, the one I tried, bagged in side before taking out, was a deep red color, and a fruity flavor, not a boring figgy flavor at all. It was overwintered so not excellent, but confirmation it is common and because it was overwintered it would be much better on a tree than a rooted cutting, excellent quality fig! With regards to I-258, it is a very good fig, but not even close to the complex deep, rich, Boysenberry/mandarin/honey flavor of BB. Of the figs I have tried, BB is the only one my wife will eat, truly spectacular and unique, a must have for the connoisseur! When only the best figs matter.
You cannot put that kind of a description and pictures and not get pestered for scions. Can I request a scion please. 
Wow! I’m ever more excited to taste Boysenberry Blush! Can’t wait for my small tree to fruit!
Wow…another to add to the wish list. Maybe in 3-4 years when the prices come down…
Long term we will know which figs rock. I myself am not totally convinced pollination means all that much. Sure those in California think so but they can only taste unpollinated figs at off season times. Never when they normally ripen main crop as the wasp is there at that time. Unlike here where I get common figs ripe at peak times of year. A true test would be to have both ripen at the same time and compare side by side. Or bag some to keep the wasp out to compare. Organza bags work well. heck if could go the other way.
I doubt it would but one needs to compare when they ripen at the same time, pollinated and unpollinated to really know.
I’m excited about having so many of these wild figs, and they are not that new.
De la Reina is a wild fig from Spain according to Monserrat Pons…
“Note that this variety was born wild in an small orchard of Mallorca, in an stone wall (the best evidence that it is wild). The owner of the orchard “domesticated” it and, seeing the quality of the figs, planted it in his orchard.
This fig is more pyriform and bigger than Black Mission.
But mainly, it is a unique variety as all “De la Reina MP” trees are descendants from this original tree and they were planted in Orient (the small village of Mallorca), all from cuttings.”
Also from my own experience some figs taste great the first time they fruit, but I have had a few trees that tasted like crap, almost tasteless, until the 3rd even 4th year when they turned into gems.
Its definitely an interesting experiment to try - may be I’ll bag one this season from early on. Like Drew, I think that the major difference is in the climate than pollination. Figs are native to Mediterranean region and they thrive in such dry and warm areas compared to overcast or wet ones. Thats why @fruitnut can replicate most of the CA fig quality in his greenhouse (where I understand that he didn’t have wasps until recently?).
Even though I’m not in California or even close. Michigan receives less rain than Texas. Only five states produce more peaches than us. Some years we are second in production. As crop failures are more common in the south than here. Red Haven peach is the standard to compare all peaches and that peach was bred here in Michigan. It is ours. We used to lead the world in production of blueberries, tart cherries, and sugar beets. We are known for our apples too. The Great Lakes make us special by buffering extreme temperatures. No northern state can produce like we can. And I’m here to say figs do pretty darn well here in our warm dry environment. We’re at the same latitude as Bordeaux France and keep winning more and more international wine competitions as our vineyards age. Anyway the environment is good here. Not every year but I myself have produced peaches with a brix of 27 Not bad for the winter wonderland state.
So it’s a good place to test figs outside California. They ripen just about as well as one can expect in our dry August and September months.
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@fruitfruit , unfortunately I have rooted all my BB cuttings already, and lost a bunch because I did not have grow lights. The few plants I could fit on a south facing window are doing very well now, due to good heat and light. Learned a lesson in rooting though 
Is the fig wasp unable to survive/overwinter in colder zones, like 6 or 7?
No, Mediterranean climate required. There is at least one experiment on establishing a colony in a greenhouse.
You can hand pollinate. I’m growing out seedlings from premium figs and if any are male, I may experiment with it.
As mentioned, even most of California does not have the wasp.
The reason I asked about hardiness of the pollenating wasps was because I have wondered about the possibility of ongoing multi-generational breeding and selection for increased hardiness in the fig plants. But if you would have to hand pollenate, then you would be hampered by high labor and much fewer seedlings to expose/test in the cold winters. I would want thousands rather than just a few.
Yes to do it right you would need that many. Still I like growing anything from seed, even though I have 26 plum cultivars, I grow some out from seed for fun. Mt Etna types would be a good start on hardiness. Mine stay dormant longer, and seem to take cold very well. They really do stand out Olympian is another or any English Brown Turkey. These are good figs too. Not complex, but good flavor even though it’s simple.
I remember when it was discovered the DNA was tested and it didn’t match anything in the database. They didn’t have any English brown turkeys tested till Olympian. What to note is the DNA was unique.
To tell the truth you could easily grow out thousands with little labor from hand pollination. If you could do ten figs you would have about 5000 seeds. The reason though why i want to is not for seed but to improve flavor.
Another wild I have is Holy Smokes. Seems to be an OK fig, also one that is early is Burgan Unk. Not sure if wild? Or just a found fig. I recently added this one. I have had it two days. I also added
Nuestra Senora del Carmen which is a Spanish fig that many on the west coast rave about, Well so many premium figs now it’s hard to know what will work here? Anyway at least I can try it. Also added is Cardenillo from the Montserrat Pons’ fig collection, Yellow skin red interior. Sound very interesting.
As do so many it’s nuts! Well I get them for the cost of postage so I now have a chance to evaluate these figs. Oh this fig is also from Spain. I have a number of figs from the Pons collection. Great to haves many from Pons here!!!
Does anyone want to know what variety Holy Smokes is? I’ve noticed that the id skills I learned from the old timers aren’t really appreciated anymore. But then again, I am reading that @Drew51 wouldn’t mind torpedoing a money making variety since he didn’t pay an outrageous price like lots of other people.
What do you say Drew, want to join me over here as a party pooping outcast?
If you want any cuttings of anything just ask. This season I don’t have anymore, will have a lot next season… I really need to have a few years to evaluate properly. So right now I do not have an opinion. Eric who discovered many has found about 200 wild figs but only a few are even worth testing. Figs are always better in the wasp zone. If only for the fact that where fig wasps are Is the ideal climate for figs. So as already stated what they observe may be nothing like what they are like here. A couple of the wild figs seem to be absolute gems. If boysenberry blush tastes better than black Madeira in California. I’m fairly certain it will taste better than the black Madeira grown here too. I’m not saying it does just giving an example of why I’m optimistic some of these new finds are going to be very cool. Figs all types all sexes are grown in California. I heard a southern Italy fig hunter say he has never found an Adriatic type, just not there.
Not really. It is a found fig, unknown origins. Appears to be wild, but was in a location that didn’t tell us anything. Many are in weird spots, so obvious it is from seed. Cool fig!
I’m testing if Lagrimas is common. We do not know yet. My cuttings are from the found mother tree.
I have already grown Alma, and Kadota, they look a little different here, usually too late to catch the warm weather and Kadota is a splitter. So obviously I don’t want to grow things that look the same and just hope for the best.
The others? All figs were selected as seedlings at some point. It really doesn’t mean much in practical terms, aside from them being well suited for the climate they were selected in.
I want more than just a few fig pictures that look great before I am interested, particularly when I would have to pay an absurd sum or have a conflict of interest when talking about it. I mean, you are sponsored so… Would not be for me.
Having tasted California seedling figs in California, I can tell you that the hype is justified. Every single one of these varieties I tasted was unique and exceptional. People who haven’t tasted these figs don’t really have an idea of how good they can be.
That however doesn’t mean that they are going to be great outside wasp territory. A few varieties I picked up dropped all fruit , the others were mediocre. But they are still young.
