Karyn, I hope you get some germination...I was whacking at a Maya a few weeks ago and realized that I'd just cut off a nice big seed pod. I let it sit for about a week then opened it and they looked exactly like you're describing yours. I did a sort of "winter-sowing" method with them except that they're inside the greenhouse. Nothing happening yet, but I'll probably leave them until spring just in case. I don't hybridize but since it was from Maya...well...Let us know what happens with yours!

Several observations and comments deserve merit. Your tree presents with different variations of leaves as does all fig trees. However, Herman made a good guess at Alma. Some of the leaves are 3-lobed and others are the "duck feet" leaves which you can see with Alma, Kadota, Italian Honey (depending on the source), and LSU Gold. I'm familiar with this because a good friend from Texas sent me a photo of the "duck foot" leaf from 3 different varieties: LSU Gold, White Texas Everbearing (aka Kadota), and Alma. They were virtually indistinguishable. I doubt you have a smyrna fig. The owner of the house either purchased the fig from a local nursery or one on-line. It's pretty hard to buy a smyrna-type fig tree through commercial venues unless you're in California. Is there a good water source to the tree? Phoenix can get pretty hot and if stressed out, a young tree can drop it's figs. Contact the Baker's Nursery in Phoenix. They can give some good advice on fig trees and they often carry a good variety of the ones that will do well in your area. There is a little critter in your area called the dried-citrus beetle. It's tiny enough to crawl into the ostiole of the figs and sour them bad. The Baker's nursery has a fig tree there which they propagate from. They call it the Baker's Fig. It's a Conadria-type fig which has been in the nursery for years. It's got a big ostiole and therefore prone to the dried-citrus beetle. You have a beautiful fig tree. Wait it out this season and see how the figs do. Make sure it gets enough water. Have a backup tree if this one continues to produce duds.

What has changed since you posted this? Al

Great suggestions. I freeze citrus juice a lot since we have several trees (oranges, tangerines, minneolas, two kinds of lemons, two kinds of limes). I love kumquats too, I get those in trade from a friend that gets some of our garden produce. I use recycled gatorade or coke bottles to freeze OJ and the ice cube trick for limes-lemons. My main problem was fruit at different stages of development, since I had mostly eureka lemons, that have all stages at once on a tree, so the branches had from too small dark green to almost ripe. The first type is not juiceable (sp?). I decided to try making candied slices. I picked some intermediate ones as far as ripeness (both lemons and unripe grapefruits), washed, sliced about 1/4 inch. Made inverted sugar (1/2 and 1/2 sugar and water with 1 tsp citric acid and boil for half hour). In the boiling syrup, I added cardamom pods, cinnamon bark and coarsely crushed black pepper. Simmered the slices for about an hour and took them out on a cookie tray, let them dry a while and stored in a jar. The greener fruit did not get as good a result on the rind, so i think i will compost the really green remaining ones. Otherwise, they turned out pretty nicely and I will use them in fruit breads, sauces and so on. The remaining syrup is super yummy and I will think of something to use it in, maybe a fig pie? or maybe as waffle syrup.