Purple, Brown, or Black Figs

The sweet dark figs of Mission are the number one favorite for drying. Mission is one of the most widely grown figs in California producing heavy crops of medium to large dark purplish-black pear-shaped fruit with a rich, sweet strawberry red pulp. Good fresh or preserved. Black Mission is self-pollinating and may produce a light breba crop. A good choice for the South as well. The small eye makes it resistant to spoiling. Item # 832.

 

Celeste is the standard by which all other figs are judged on sweetness and flavor. If you've ever eaten one you know why it is also called the Honey or Sugar fig. It produces small to medium sized pear shaped violet to light violet fruit with red pulp and white to amber flesh. Very reliable for the South and Southeastern US and excellent cold tolerance. Small productive and hardy trees for the home orchard. Item# 355

Chicago Hardy produces large crops of medium to small nearly black to brown or violet, pear shaped to turbinate figs with amber to strawberry flesh with a rich sweet flavor. Very similar to Brown Turkey. The eye is small minimizing spoilage. Hardy Chicago was found growing in the Chicago, Illinois area although it may have originated in Sicily, Italy. It has exceptional cold hardiness and is known to fruit in the same season even if frozen to the ground. Item# 9546.

LSU Purple produces medium sized dark reddish-purple, generally pear shaped figs with amber to strawberry pulp with a mild sweet flavor. Developed by Dr. Ed O'Rourke at LSU for disease and nematode resistance as well as the hot and humid Southern climate, it produces a breba crop and a large main crop providing fruit over a long season. Item # 921. 

Magnolia or Brunswick produces a good crop of medium to large bronze to purple figs with good quality pink to amber flesh with tiny seeds and open eye. The fruit ripens over a long season. Magnolia is considered a good choice for the drier portions of the South and Southwestern US. Item# 1113.

Imagine Celeste on steroids as Mega Celeste produces medium to large figs with a flavor nearly as rich and sweet as its namesake. The large pear shaped to turbinate figs have a dark violet skin with white flesh and a dark purplish-red pulp. The eye is small but open and the figs are resistant to spoiling and splitting. Mega Celeste is known to produce a breba crop. This is a likely, but as of yet unconfirmed, unofficial LSU release from Dr. O'Rourke's breeding program. Item# 9918.

The rich, sweet acidic flavor of Negronne is delectable and nearly unmistakable. It produces small to medium sized, dark purplish black, pear shaped to turbinate figs with a deep red pulp and amber flesh. The small eye is closed making it resistant to spoiling and splitting. The ripe fruit is superb fresh but can be dried or preserved as well. Negronne may produce a breba crop in mild climates and is an excellent choice for all fig growing regions with excellent cold hardiness. The dwarf habit makes it a good choice for container culture as well. Item# 9906.

The fruit of Petite Negri, which translates to the little black fig, is anything but little as it produces large to medium sized black to dark purple fruit with amber flesh and strawberry to purple pulp with excellent flavor. The Petite side is that this is a dwarf tree that is a good choice for containers and it is known to produce fruit even at a very young age. Item# 9293.

Violette De Bordeaux, the dark purple form of Bordeaux, produces medium sized purple fruit with dark purplish-red flesh. The tree is dwarf and compact making it suitable for containers and is one the more cold hardy varieties tolerating zone 6 winters. Violette De Bordeaux is considered to be the same as Negronne according to Dr. Ira Condit's Figs: A Monograph. Item# 11127