LSU Champagne Fig Tree
Another excellent introduction from Louisiana State University’s fig breeding program, the Champagne Fig Tree is the offspring of Celeste and a California caprifig and bears delicious and abundant crops of medium sized figs with yellow skin and gold to caramel flesh. Trees are vigorous, upright and very cold hardy. Champagne ripens a main crop in early July in the Southeast and warmer climates and in August in the Pacific Northwest and more mild climates. Very well adapted to the humid southeast and other wet climates where other varieties would spoil.
One of the easiest fruits to grow, and a true gourmet delight, you should not live your life without feasting on this sweet, delectable fruit. To fully enjoy fresh Figs you must grow your own. When fully ripe and at their tender, shipping them long distances is virtually impossible. Another plus for Figs – deer don’t like them (most of the time)!
Click here to read our Fig Growing Guide.
Latin Name: Ficus carica
Site and Soil: Figs do well in a variety of soils, but require at least 8 hours of sunlight during the growing season.
Pollination Requirements: Self-fruitful.
Hardiness: Hardy to between 0° & 5° F.
Bearing Age: 1-2 years after planting.
Size at Maturity: 10-15 ft. in height
Taste: Sweet
Fruit Skin: Yellow
Fruit Flesh: Gold to caramel
Bloom Time: Flowers are not noticeable as they are inside the fig.
Ripening Time: September
Yield: 30-50 lbs.
Pests & Diseases: Figs are not bothered by pests in our region. Cover plants with netting if birds are a problem.
Fig Mosaic Virus is a benign virus that exists in all cultivated fig trees. Yellow spotting of the leaves is a cosmetic symptom that shows more in container culture, but is quickly outgrown once trees are planted in the ground. The presence of FMV in all cultivated figs has become widely accepted, as even the national germplasm repository for figs maintained by the USDA has Fig Mosaic Virus. If the presence of FMV is a concern, then purchasing fig trees may not be the best option for you.
USDA Zone: 7