Best Figs for the Southeast

[elsedgwick Find all posts View Profile Close elsedgwick]

Given that fig quality and productivity can vary significantly based on climactic and soil conditions, I thought it might be interesting to have a series of thread listing tried and true varieties for various regions of the country. Ground rules: please note your general location within the region, USDA zone and soil type; input must be based on personal experience, not hearsay; note if there is a breba crop and approximate fruiting dates.

I'll start with a southern classics here in N. Florida/S. Georgia (USDA zone 8B; sandy to sandy clay)

Celeste: A reliable producer; flavor good to very good - probably a little richer than brown turkey; more resistant to splitting or souring in wet conditions than most, but still will in the wettest weather; no breba; July-August

[elsedgwick Find all posts View Profile Close elsedgwick]

Southern Virginia Piedmont (USDA Zone 7A; heaviest of clay soils):
Hardy Chicago: Good producer; can die back to roots and grow to four-five feet and produce figs in the same year, but with light protection branches often survive the winter; flavor good to very good; unknown how it fares in very rainy conditions, as I have only observed in relatively dry summers; fruits late Aug., early Sept? (it's been a few years and I forget).

[Yeehova Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Yeehova]

I will second the nomination of Hardy Chicago

[Darkman Dirt Master Find all posts View Profile Close Darkman]

El good to see you posting.

While I have quite few varieties I have only tasted a few at my house so far.

zone 8b/9a soil pure sand heavily munched with oak tree leaves. Now have ~8" of composted leaves

Celeste very sweet small fig
LSU Gold large fig but so far mine have been watery fig still young

I hope later this Summer I can talk about more varieties!

[Chrisk Spirit of Community Find all posts View Profile Close Chrisk]

Great thread El. Here in the Atlanta area, ( Loganville GA ~ 32miles east of ATL) ,Celeste rules! More than cold Hardy enough to deal with the unexpected late frosts and a vigorous grower produces an abandance of sweet fruit good for fresh consumption or use for preserves! A very popular variety in the SE for a good reason.
Another variety that I started last year and was a huge (and awesome)surprise in this area is Peters Honey. I bought one last year from Bay Flora and it produced a good amount of figs on year one( although a bit late) . This year(2nd leaf for me) it has 6 very healthy Breba figs on it and very healthy growth. The figs tasted good last year so I expect them to taste awesome this season. I just can't wait . A keeper in my opinion!

[Chrisk Spirit of Community Find all posts View Profile Close Chrisk]

Here are pics of PH and their Brebas. This tree seem to love our North GA climate!

[Atb_ncfoothills Find all posts View Profile Close Atb_ncfoothills]

So I have black mission, brown turkey, celeste, chicago, conadria, desert king, ischia, kadota, lattarula, lsu purple, marseilles, olympian, petite negri, texas everbearing, magnolia, and violet de bordeaux. At least I thought I had those. After reading many warnings of figs not being what they are sold as I really have no clue what I have. Some I have bought from Edible Landscaping in VA and others off various ebay sources. For zone 7a in North Carolina, does anyone have any suggestions of the best tasting figs that would do well here (assuming what I listed I already have and was sold to me accurately). I am ok with die back but prefer to not have to over winter in the garage but I would if the fig was that superior. The figs I listed are still in gallons and survived in a cold frame covered with plastic this past winter. They will get their out in the cold planted in the ground test this year or next.

Thanks!