LSU and Celeste Variety ripening order?

[PacNorWreck]

For once, I’m not considering a purchase based on this one! I just thought that it might be a helpful resource and, from looking around, it doesn’t appear to already exist on ourfigs, at least not without looking up about 20 season reports, ripening records, and variety comparison threads.

The LSU figs are well regarded and pretty popular for their reliability, sweetness, and good flavor - especially in humid climates. We all know that Improved Celeste (ICON) is the earliest, but what about the rest of them? For someone who might want a couple of LSU figs but not all of them, the relative earliness would be very helpful in choosing.

So I’m thinking we can crowd source a one-stop resource that people can come back to. I’ll get it started with the little bit that I’m fairly confident of, but I’m going to need help from you all in completing and vetting the list.

I’ll keep updating this first post with the latest and greatest; if the forum stops letting me edit then I’ll refresh with new posts in this thread as appropriate.

Ripening Order (a line break constitutes a week or more gap between groups):

List 1:
Improved Celeste (ICON)

LSU Hollier + Scott’s Yellow
LSU Gold + LSU Orourke
LSU Purple
LSU Champagne
Blue Celeste
Celeste
Black Celeste
LSU Tiger

LSU Red + LSU Everbearing

Scott’s Black

LSU Strawberry



To be added / slotted into the ripening order:

Texas Peach (controversial, I’m willing to take this out, but it seems like a Celeste strain?)

Lets see how much we can figure out!

[TK]

First year growing figs so take this with a grain of salt since I don’t have anything to compare to. I have both LSU Gold and O’Rourke. LSU Gold started ripening a couple days before my O’Rourke during the first week of July. I still have LSU Gold figs ripening to this day, while all of my O’Rourke figs seemed to have ripened within 5-7 days of each other during the second/third week of July. I’m located in N. Houston Zone 8b. Picture is of O’Rourke.



Update: Below is an LSU Gold I picked on July 21. This is one of the better ones I’ve had from this tree. I’ve noticed you really have to let these ripen fully to get a desirable flavor from these, unlike a few of my other varieties that give a little more wiggle room. Is this consistent with what others have found?

[PacNorWreck]

Wecome to the forum and thanks for sharing! Those look really great.

[TK]

Thanks. For those interested, my O’Rourke held up very nicely with the downpours during ripening. I was very impressed with the way the tree handled it. My LSU Gold did not seem to hold up to the rain as well.

[Terra]

You forgot LSU Everbearing.
It will be interesting when mine will ripen, I couldn't find much info on this variety and its my first year with this one.

[PacNorWreck]

Thanks I will add to the list

[PacNorWreck]

CajunB any chance you could lend some of your wisdom? I know you have a collection that includes an enviable number of LSU figs.

[PacNorWreck]

CajunB thank you so much!! Will get this incorporated. The Celeste varieties are not LSU figs, but I did include them just since so many of the LSU figs are descended from Celeste and I know a lot of questions often come up such as “is it better to grow Celeste or Improved Celeste?” or “LSU Tiger has a similar taste profile to Blue Celeste, why might I prefer one over the other?”

[PacNorWreck]

Also shout out / many thanks to eboone and jrdewhirst, whose ripening order threads from 2019 and 2020 were super helpful.

[CajunB]

Its better to grow the Improve Celeste because its earlier than Celeste also its a larger fig and produces 2 or 3 times a year as the Celeste only one crop a year.The LSU Tiger would be my choice there,larger and more productive fig...