The queen of figs has arrived! Widely regarded as the best tasting fig you might ever find, Black Madeira has a certain mystique to it amongst fig growers and collectors. Figs ripen late and are typically grown in greenhouses by us here in the Northwest, but even greenhouse-ripened figs are out of this world delicious!
One of the best of the yellow figs, Excel has a delicious honey flavor and is richly sweet even when grown in cool climates. Excel resists splitting better than most varieties, produces a nice sized breba crop and and ripens its main crop in mid to late September here in Portland.
As the story goes, this fig was found as a seedling growing under a coffee tree in San Diego, CA so given the name Raspberry Latte. Very similar to the Bordeaux figs and exceptionally fine flavored! Not the earliest ripening variety so plant this one in a very hot location if growing in northern climates.
Strawberry Verte Fig has been around for centuries and is a great choice for growers in shorter seasons. The strawberry flesh is quite striking against the green skin and very flavorful. Requires a fair amount of heat for best flavor but ripens reliably here.
A very popular pass-around fig on the East Coast, Brooklyn White is reportedly one of the hardiest and most reliable figs for growers in cold climates. Trees are quite vigorous and ripen a decent sized breba crop followed by a large, mid-season main crop. Figs are a bright yellow with a light red flesh and the taste of strawberry jam. One of the most cold hardy light skinned figs, Brooklyn White can die back to the roots in very cold winters and grow back to produce figs that next season.
Truly a fig for the north country, Florea is one of the most cold hardy and early ripening figs that we’ve found. In very cold climates in can die back to the ground and, if properly established the year before, will grow back and fruit that next growing season. Florea also produces a fairly large and delicious breba crop! Figs are brownish red on the skin with a light strawberry red interior.
LSU O’Rourke is yet another excellent fig selection with the Southeastern-favorite Celeste in its parentage, and is widely regarded as one of the most valuable of any fig released by the LSU fig breeding program. Of all the figs that came out of that prolific breeding program this is the one that received Dr. Ed O’Rourke’s name.
Produces large yellow figs but unlike some of the larger ones, it actually has a very firm and incredibly sweet flesh. Ripens early enough to be fairly reliable here in the Northwest and is certainly one of the tastiest honey figs.
A fantastic French fig with a thick elongated neck said to resemble the collar of a lady. Col de Dame Noir produces figs with a dark brown to nearly black skin and a bright red juicy flesh. One of the best tasting figs, though not the earliest ripening.
Often called the “jelly fig” Mary Lane produces large crops of delicious yellow figs with a strawberry interior that is nearly seedless. The texture on this one really is like jelly and has a supremely sweet agave syrup flavor to it. Not the earliest ripener but fairly reliable here in the Pacific Northwest.
