Hi Martin,
My VdB doesn't look anything like yours. I received my cutting from UCD. Last year it had 4 figs and currently has a nice crop, 2 are almost ripe. They are a vivid purple. Went from green to purple without any redish shading. Even the shape is different, mine being rounder. I checked out the photos on F4F and mine look the same. Any comments?

Peg

That is a neat color change. I wonder how much climate and soil has to do with different observations of same fig behavior. It will be fun to compare ;)

I would like to chime in and tell you taht I had both figs:
Martin EL cultivar
UCD Cultivar.
The difference:
Thow they are the same cultivar,they grow different,because Violette from UCD,has the UCD type of Fig MOsaic virus.
EL has some health problems too,but if FMV,it is a version,that do not critically injure the fig,or it might be only stress and no virus,on EL specymen.
That makes a huge difference in how easy is to grow and how productive the plant will be over the years.
Personally I kept the EL,and discarded the UCD plant,after realising they are the same fig.

Herman,
I don't mean to be argumentive. I'm just saying that mine look nothing like Martins pictures. It does look like the Photo's on F4F. Mine shows no sign of FMV, I'm not saying that it doesn't have it but if it does it is not apparent. Nice healthy looking tree. The 4 figs it had last year, its first, were very good. I haven't tasted these yet as they need a day or two more to get really soft.

Peg

Peg i know nothing about UcDavis Vdb. I do know they have a nasty virus as i have some other types of there plants. Mine from EL has what seems like FmV but only show in spring then hides for rest of year.
I trust Hermans statement 100% as he had both EL and UcDavis.

My vdb from EL does the same color change as Martins. The mature tree shows very little signs of fmv, as a matter of fact I thought it was fmv free until I rooted some cuttings, which showed fmv. However (these), this years cuttings now show very little signs of the virus. But I know they still have it.

My VdB (EL) is one of my best top figs.

After looking at Martin's pics, I think my VdB is probably an EL, whatever that means. Good to know it probably will not have FMV. I got it from Raintree in January.

Girlbug2 the intials EL are short for edible landscaping a nursery.
Maggie (Italiangirl74) sent me these pictures and said i can post them , not sure where here VdB came from. She mention hers does the same coloring.
Her Vdb pictures .
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Martin

Martin, my tree is a S.European source. Ciao

My Violet de Bordeaux looks the same as Martin's too. I got mine a few years ago from a forum member but I can't remember who.

I just ate one of my VdeB and it was delicious. One of the best I've ever eaten. Mine matches the discription and pictures on Jon's Varieties exactly. For anything that tastes this good it is a keeper for me. Thanks to Jon's list as a reference I got from USD exactly what I ordered. I can detect no FMV.

Peg

For those curious i posted 9 pictures of leaf shape in link below.
Martin

Here is a link that might be useful: http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=4833085

Martin,for what it's worth,my Vdb. is exactly the same as yours, as well. I got mine from Willis. Tim

My VdB behaves the same as the original poster. The tree was bought at Sperling Nursery in Calabasas CA, and had a Dave Wilson Nursery tag. What do I win? ;)