Black Madeira and Conadria are very long season figs, and don't always ripen even in San Diego.

I will have some of the cuttings you are seeking available through Seed Savers Exchange next February.

That's good to know. I selected Conadria using this information:

California Rare Fruit Growers, Vol. 23, No. 6, December 1991: Large, green-yellow skin, reddish pulp. Hybrid of White Adriatic and succulent Caprifig. Released in 1956. Produces excellent figs on coast. Most prolific every year. Skin cracks all over but does not split. Good either fresh or dried.

Maybe the coast of the Salton Sea? Of coarse I was selective because CRFG Fruit Facts lists it as:

Origin Ira Condit, Riverside 1956. First artificial hybrid fig. Fruit pale green, medium, flesh strawberry red. Mildly sweet. Good fresh, excellent dried. More productive than Adriatic but of lesser quality. Light breba crop. Tree vigorous, tends to excessive growth under irrigation, best in hot climates.

I chose Black Madeira because of the recent DNA testing showing it as a very old variety carrying old genes. I do have some very hot microclimates, so we'll see!

RE: Seed Savers
I'm not a member, and I understand very little by looking at their web site. I understand you get a yearbook, but how the process works is beyond me.

Mark

I belong to CRFG, so they are not a mystery to me. I have had maybe two Conadria figs ripen so far this season (there are hundreds on the tree). They are very prone to splitting here in San Diego. Last year was a cooler summer and they never did ripen. Most of the rest of my figs are done for the season, or very, very nearly so, but the Conadria is just beginning to think about it.

Now, having said that, I have one fig tree (Vista) which is 20+ years old and has never, ever, ever, had a split fig. But a friend growing it back east has 80-90% splitting. So local climatic and cultural conditions play a part. I have 200+ varieties (though not all have fruited yet), and very few of them have splitting problems, but so far for me Conadria is more likely to split than all but two or three.

Black Madeira is a fabulous fig, flavor wise, and just about as long a season as Conadria.

Seedsavers does require membership, but it gives you access to thousand of heirloom seeds and such. The yearbook (February) is supposed to be similar to a giant seed catalog, though there are some things other than seeds.

Mark, your neighbor's fig does look like King or a sport of it. How is the taste? Do you have a rough idea of when it produces figs?

The figs ripened the first week of August this year. They are sweet and tasty, but drier than others I have tasted. I enjoy Mission over this fig. Birds decimated the crop this year. My dogs enjoyed the scraps.

I wish I knew how old the tree is. Our homes were built between 1900-1908, so it's impossible to tell.

pitangadiego:
I am a new member to CRFG, nice to meet you. I know CRFG has a volunteer run seed bank. Do people trade in fig cuttings? I'm not sure how to access it. I hope to be able to contribute to all in the future.

Mark

Mark, Seedbank is seeds only. Cuttings and scion are usually traded at chapter meetings most often in late January or early February. Seeds are listed in the Fruit Gardener, and then you can mail in for them.

Mark, I live east of Seattle in North Bend. This is my first year growing figs. My one tree, a Lattarulla, is about 4' tall and still in a pot. Do you think I should overwinter it in the garage or leave it outside?

Have you tried Mulbacks in Woodinville? That is where I bought mine. They had a variety of figs last spring.

Tim

mwamsley, my Conadria in San Francisco (mild summer climate) is loaded with lots of fruit, but it does not seem to be ripening. Not sure how it is going to do on the coast. But I do a little more than 2 months to find out. So far, I'm not impressed.

I know Osbourne and King works well. I got them, and they were yummy, even in my climate. King was juicy and sweet.
I get the feeling that Excell might work too, if I let the tree grow out its roots. The story with the Excell is that I bought it in a 25 gallon this year, and it had a fat 5 inch trunk. Maybe it was too root bound. But the figs still tasted good. I think it can only get better next year since I put in the ground.

Brown Turkey has not worked for me yet either. Same story as the Conadria.

Janice Seedless is fruiting well now. 1 more month maybe till eat?

I have cuttings that are fruiting right now:
St Anthonys
Peters Honey
Green Ischia
White Genoa
Italian White

Tim- I too don't have a lot of experience with figs, but I would think it would be ok to leave it outside. Others on this board might be able to give you a better answer.

If your tree is small, and you have the space in your garage you could bring it in this year (after going dormant), let it get bigger next year, and then leave it out from then on out. I'm not certain how much cooler North Bend gets from Seattle.

I should say, in my area I have white sapote, kumquats, calamondin citrus and loquat in pots outside for a few winters now, without any damage.

Mark

PS: If you do have to do some pruning, let me know, I could use your scraps!

Here is a link that might be useful: LATTARULA

Mark,

Unfortunately my one Lattarula has just one branch coming from the trunk. It is less than 6" long. Not much there to trim.

Sorry

Tim