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The Celeste fig is small, brown to purple in color and adapted to all areas of
Texas. Celeste is the most cold hardy of all Texas fig varieties. The tree is
large, vigorous and very productive. Celeste usually does not have a Breba crop;
the main crop ripens in mid-June before the main crop of other Texas fig varieties.
Celeste fruit has a tightly closed eye which inhibits the entry of the dried fruit
beetle. The fruit does not have excessive souring on the tree. Celeste has excellent
fresh dessert quality with a rich sweet flavor. It is an excellent processing
fig, either frozen or processed as fig preserves. Do not prune mature Celeste
trees heavily because this can reduce the crop. | |
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Texas Overbearing is a medium-sized fig adapted to central and east Texas. It
is the most common variety in central Texas. The tree is vigorous, very large
and productive. The early crop ripens in May; the main crop ripens in late June
and continues to ripen into August. The fruit has a short, plump stem and moderately
closed eye which reduces fruit souring on the tree. The fruit is nearly seedless
and has a mild sweet flavor. Early crop fruit is very large, sometimes 2 inches
in diameter. | |
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Alma is a new common fig variety released by the Texas Agricultural Experiment
Station in 1974. Alma resulted from a cross between the female Allison and the
male Hamma Caprifig. It is a late season variety with very high fruit quality.
The fruit skin is rather unattractive; however, the flesh has an excellent rich,
sweet flavor. The tree is moderately vigorous, very productive and comes into
production at a very early age. The eye of Alma fruit is sealed with a drop of
thick resin that inhibits the entry of the dried fruit beetle, thus reducing on-the-tree
fruit souring. Alma is very frost sensitive, especially as a young tree and should
be grown no more than 200 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. | |
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This variety has the longest ripening season of the recommended varieties. Although
it is not quite as cold hardy as Celeste, it will, if injured by a freeze, produce
fair-to-good crops on sucker wood the next season. This is an advantage in areas
troubled by late spring frosts. The fruit is medium to large, with a reddish-brown
skin tinged with purple. The pulp is reddish-pink and of good quality. It is subject
to cracking in wet weather and has a larger eye than Celeste and hence will sour
more quickly. The fruit is excellent for making home preserves. | |
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This variety is the most popular commercial canning fig in the South. It is a
weak growing tree with fruit that sours and splits badly during wet weather. Splitting
and souring can be reduced, however, if its fruit is picked just before full maturity
and used as preserves. This variety also produces fair-to-good crop on sucker
wood the season after freeze injury. The fruit is medium to large with brown skin
and light amber pulp. It is prominently swollen at the fruit base with a very
open eye. Fruiting is spread over a long period if the tree is pruned heavily.
Figs will appear on both current and last year's wood, although its fruit crop
is usually small. This variety is widely used as a dooryard variety in Texas but
because of its splitting and souring problems, it is no longer recommended. | |
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This variety is the commercial fig of California. Varietals trials show it also
does well in Texas, particularly in south Texas. The fruit becomes rubbery in
drier and hotter areas. The eye is open but it is characteristically filled
with a honey-like substance which prevents entry of insects and subsequent souring.
Fruiting characteristics are similar to those of Magnolia and Overbearing. It
will produce on sucker wood the year after cold injury. The fruit is yellow to
green with seeds and amber pulp. The fruit is excellent canned or preserved. Do
not plant this variety in drier areas of Texas. | |