Kure Beach Unk.

[Altadena Mara]

The first KBU unknown was finally ripe today. The size was great but the flavor was a diluted watery fruity taste with a touch of sweetness. Hopefully it will get better over time. Thanks Lou Neo.

[Zuny]

It looks like a really nice fig. Maybe the next one won't be so watery.

[Fygmalion]

Looks like a real nice fig; I love the rich interior color! I am in the process of rooting this one and looking forward to next year... Thanks again, Lou Neo!

[npolaske]

Can you post a picture of the leaves? Your taste description and pictures of the fruit makes me wonder if this is a California Brown Turkey.

[ross]

Mara's fig certainly looks like CBT, Nate. The other photos I've seen of this one do not look exactly like a CBT to me. Slightly different. Maybe a sport of it.

[LouNeo]

I have CBT in the fridge that I bought from the grocery store today. They are from Cali. They dont look all that much like this.

[drew51]

It doesn't look like my BT although I have the improved BT. Nothing like it. But the collection of photos from others do look like BT. Amazing how much appearance can change or not be seen well in a photo. Once cut open it looks like IBT or BT.

[Altadena Mara]

I was looking at the leaves of both the California Brown Turkey and the regular Brown Turkey on the F4F Varietal Info site. It looks more like the regular Brown Turkey leaf, but the middle part of the leaf at the bottom is a little longer.

[LouNeo]

I just saw this post, sorry I hadnt chimed in earlier. The inside of that fig looks better than the ones I had picked from the mother tree towards the end of the year. The color is amazing, the fruit on the mother tree tends to be slightly more hollow on the inside and definitely not quite as dark. The mother tree isnt getting as much sun as it used to though.

This tree was brought to its current location by the father of the current owner who is in her 80's. It was brought with him from their house they had in Charlotte, he build a small farm on the beach here and grew this tree on property. The family loves it, its been passed down through the generations and im giving an airlayer to the son of the current owner as well. The owner uses them in baking greek dishes and LOVES them. I dont think its a brown turkey personally but im not sure what it is. I know people growing this fig up in Michigan absolutely love it and have it in their top 5 - top 10 keepers. So im genuinely not sure how climate is playing a role in it.

I have to give the tree a haircut this week for the owners.

[drew51]

You mention climate, I'm of the opinion that the Etna types, and other cold hardy figs taste much better if in a milder climate. Growing them in CA and other warmer states, the fruit doesn't seem to reach it's potential. Just the opposite with the late fruiting types, which appear to give complex flavors in warmer states, and are just OK in colder ones. This has been my experience anyway.

[COGardener]

Lou,

Will you have cuttings this year? I'd like to give another whirl.... this time I have a place the cats can't get to.

[LouNeo]

Haha, I had a wild cat with some kittens bugging mine.. they are now rehomed! I am going to go cut the tree back quite a bit for the owners so will be posting up some cuttings for sale if anyone wants / needs them!

[COGardener]

Can't wait!!

Thank you!!!

[ross]

Lou, besides Mara & Dan are there any more photos of the fruit on this one?

[LouNeo]

There were a few posts in the past that have photos from other peoples trees. I will see what I have on my phone and add a couple more, here as well.

[LouNeo]

Ross, this is a collaboration of images ive collected from other people and a couple of my own. Spans a few years too.

[ross]

Thanks Lou.

[ross]

I'm willing to bet this one is a California BT (the leaves and fruit match almost perfectly) that has mutated in some way. A friend told me this, "I actually really like Kure Beach. Not my favorite, but it's one that I keep around. It produces huge figs with a good flavor and they don't split."

He also said, "To me it's not just a large watery sugar sack... Like say a LSU gold. It's worth growing and trailing"

[LouNeo]

I'm willing to bet this one is a California BT (the leaves and fruit match almost perfectly) that has mutated in some way.

So what you are saying is that it is not California BT. Since a mutation would then be a newer type or variety. That apparently people you are talking to agree is worth growing.

[ross]

Yes, Lou. Of course this is just a theory and I could be wrong. Hopefully more information will be available next season.

[LouNeo]

Theres a lot of people growing it right now so im sure we should honestly have a good idea of what it grows like in many different climates. So far it does seem that a little cooler climate does it some additional justice. I wasnt the one that found this tree for what its worth, im just helping the owners with upkeep on it now. They want it cut back by 1/3rd this week, its got some really old limbs, im hoping this helps it with some new vigorous growth next season!

[Altadena Mara]

Kure Beach Unk. with large figs ripening still here in mid-November. Juicy/watery and almost moderately sweet with a hint of berry taste. There are many better tasting figs, but when it's the only ripe fig around this week or even last week, it's not bad at all.

[greenfig]

Mara, does it split? Thanks for posting!

[abeadbapda]

Just an update on my Kure Beach Unk. I got cuttings from LouNeo in December '16 and started them as soon as I got them. this Spring, this tree has become my best producing fig tree. It has over 30 figs on it, is about 5' tall, and has a bunch of branches and additional shoots coming up from the mix.

My KBU has about 3x the growth as my store bought BT which I purchased 2 years ago and has yet to produce a fig for me.

Haven't had a chance to actually sample my KBU yet(I'll try to report when I have) but there's a lot to be said for having a strong producer.

[Noel Goetz]

I have a 2nd year tree that got hit in a frost. Only had one breba, and it was watery but I'd been watering heavy because of the heat. It has figlets. Will add my 2 cents when I get a taste.

[Altadena Mara]

We all here in SoCal have been watering heavily with temps this week of 100-110. One of my KBU trees is growing really well and is ready for a larger pot. It crisped out once in the heat but the leaves have grown back and it has a number of little figs developing on it. It's too hot to search out the other tree right now.

[wellingtonbill]

Anyone heard from Lou Neo in 2019 thus far? He gave me a Kure Beach Unk about three years ago that is full of figs. My KBunk grows hugging the ground! Let me know if you have heard from Lou? 😉

[eboone]

He has not logged in to this site for a year and a half.....

[wellingtonbill]

Yes, I know. I was wondering if Lou was keeping in touch with someone. He was dealing with a lot of Ourfigs growers.

[TheMillennialGardener]

This is interesting. Where in Kure Beach is this growing? I live maybe a 25 min drive from there (in the off season anyway!). Such a beautiful place.

[Altadena Mara]

This is interesting. Where in Kure Beach is this growing? I live maybe a 25 min drive from there (in the off season anyway!). Such a beautiful place.

I wonder if the tree is even still there. They've had some rough weather in those areas over the last few years.

[TheMillennialGardener]

The Washingtonia Filifera is still there after January 2018's 100 year freeze. They're less hardy than any fig, so I'd hope so.