Letizia

[jmaler]

My Letizia fig plant has been received and potted. According to Burpee's description I felt like it should be worth trying.

Burpee's description: A family heirloom, named after plantsman Steve Castorani's mother Letizia, whose parents brought the fig all the way from Italy. Since the 1930s, over many years, the plant has grown to a multi-stemmed tree, dense with beautiful, neatly lobed green leaves. An easy-to-grow ornamental bush, with large crops of fantastic brown fruits. Enjoy the summer harvest of luscious flavor from the old home country.


Wayside Gardens description: Dense, Upright Habit and Large, Deeply-Lobed Leaves Dense, multi-stemmed plants with neatly-lobed green leaves make this heirloom Fig one of the most ornamental in the family. Sweet and juicy fruits ripen in summer, offering a lovely ingredient for sauces, jams, and jellies! Named for the daughter of immigrants that brought the tree over from Italy, this long-lived fig will be a treasured heirloom for your family, too!

Park Seed description: Same as Wayside Gardens.

[COGardener]

I saw that one on Burpee's site also, thought about experimenting with it, maybe next year.

I'm interested to see how it does for you and if it is true to form.

keep us posted.

[hoosierbanana]

It is an Etna fig, I will bet anybody a nice air-layer!

[hoosierbanana]

Etna figs are a group of very similar figs that may be wild seedlings or different mutations of a single plant. They are thought to come from Mt. Etna in Sicily. In general they all have: a fuzzy, sandpapery leaf, compact vigorous growth habit, good cold hardiness, small to medium dark figs with pink to red centers and small eyes, thin skins and strong berry flavor. They are productive, early ripening and everbearing, can fruit the year after freezing to the ground. Some other examples are Hardy Chicago, Gino's Black, Black Bethlehem, MBVS... Nothing fancy but really reliable and tasty.

[newnandawg]

" Some other examples are Hardy Chicago, Gino's Black, Black Bethlehem, MBVS... Nothing fancy but really reliable and tasty. "

Well, when fully ripe, these are some of the best tasting figs out there IMHO.

[andreas-patras]

hoosierbanana
black bethlehem is not an etna fig... its a greek fig.
just my 2 cents

[chauqg]

Got one from Burpee last year...grows well, easily pruned it's 1st & 2nd year. Did so well in one gallon terra cotta I bought one this year for my son. also easy to root cuttings. Yours is likely one year old, prune it for the first 3 years. Good luck jmaler & you gonna like it!!!

[jkuo]

Just got a Letizia from Burpee. It still has to unfurl itself a bit after being wrapped in paper and stuffed in a box, but it seems healthy otherwise. For $14 shipped, I'm not going to complain too much.

The biggest leaves do look somewhat like my Hardy Chicago, so maybe it is a Mt. Etna fig as Brent suggests. Then again, there's also the possibility it's related to Florea. I guess we'll find out when someone gets some fruit and posts the pics.

[hoosierbanana]

Looks very healthy.

[COGardener]

That is a nice looking plant, I just might order one.... I mean, what's one more right! !!!

[jkuo]

Lol, that's the line of reasoning I used to justify getting myself another fig tree. If I already have too many, I might as well have too many plus one.

[COGardener]

I am wondering how many is to many. I have plenty of winter storage. ... for now. I have plenty of room in the yard for them.

My only dread is the spring / fall shuffle. But i do have an idea for that. ... will see how it works out this fall.

[lilfiggy]

I got one also about two weeks ago. It is doing very well.

[chauqg]

Welcme Chuckie!

[chauqg]

My second Letizia ...... this year's is very different from last year's single stock tree. Need to do more pruning to this 5 limed bush- breaks my hearth it looks so nice and full. With my limited experience this tree seems to be a welcome addition to a beginners collection. Handled winter well, rooting cuttings is a breeze, simple enough to make you think you know,what you are doing 😋 Cheerz!

[AmericanFigLover]

Looks like a interesting fig. From the few post about it, so say that it's just a brown turkey under another name. Can someone say if it's different or not? I ask also because I see that two different nurseries have this fig listed with two different looking fruit. One looks dark colored while the other a golden color.

[chauqg]

AFL thank you for your service! I've been told that the Letizia is likely related to Mt Etna varieties....I just don't have enough experience too tell. Cheerz

[chuckell]

no mine is not brown turkey

[chauqg]

Would anyone experienced with Letizia describe the fruit (color, harvest etc) and taste, to a newbie. Thanks

[hoosierbanana]

Letizia “Letty” Castorani Gallucio, age 101, of Wilmington and Hockessin passed away peacefully at Kentmere Nursing Care Center on Sunday, February 22, 2015. Born September 28, 1913 in the small mountain village of Cagnano, Aquasanta Terme, Italy, Letty immigrated to America at age 7. Upon coming to America with her mother through Ellis Island, she moved to Russellton, in the coal region of western PA to join her father, and later to Staten Island, New York, where she graduated from Curtis High School, before moving to Wilmington, Delaware. Letizia married her first husband, Settimio, a local mushroom farmer. Together they owned the Colonial Inn Tavern and package store in Wilmington, which she ran for 30 years. Letty had a love for vegetable gardening, crocheting and visiting with friends and family. Letizia was a marvelous cook and all were welcome to her dining table where she delighted everyone with her homemade Italian specialties. After Settimio’s death, she married Frank Gallucio. Letty enjoyed traveling throughout the US and abroad. She returned to Italy many times to visit family and friends. In later years, she enjoyed time at Frames Senior Center in Wilmington.

In the Italian language, Letizia translates to Joy and Happiness, which was very fitting. Letty greeted everyone she met with love and kindness. She saw the good in all people and brought out the best in everyone. In fact, her grandchildren nicknamed her “Fun”.

More info from last year's DCH rare plant auction:

Today, figs are grown the world over, showing up in the backyards of families who have nurtured them for generations. One such plant is ‘Letizia,’ named for Honorary Chair, Steve Castorani’s mother, who emigrated here from Italy in the early 1900’s. The family settled in Wilmington, at the outskirts of the city and Steve remembers the small backyard where the fig tree grew at the corner of the property. He assumes it was brought here by his mother’s father, who hailed from the Marche region of Italy on the Adriatic. Cuttings traveled with the family when they moved to Hockessin in 1965 and there it continues to grow and bear fruit, in the same spot, with Steve and his wife, Peg, in residence. As owner of North Creek Nurseries, Steve took some cuttings for fun and planted them out at the Pennsylvania site. A representative from Burpee, for whom North Creek propagates some plants, saw the fig growing in a “hot garden” near a garage on a nursery visit and told Steve, “You should name it and we’ll promote it.” He did and ‘Letizia,’ which means “joy,” sold out instantly from the Burpee catalogue when it appeared last year.

‘Letizia’ is a handsome plant with large, lobed leaves and strong branching, a tribute to the woman who just passed her 100th birthday. The pear-shaped figs 24 are sweet and luscious, turning from green to deep maroon as they ripen and often yielding two crops per season – an early one in June and another at the end of August. The auction fig is an established, containerized plant that will bear fruit this year. Steve says he has never done “the Italian thing” by elaborately covering the plant for winter, but suggests that any fig loves to grow in a protected spot, preferably against a wall. A variety of edible figs are offered at tonight’s auction, providing the opportunity to experience eating figs fresh from the tree – incomparable. Their bold foliage and shrub-like habit make them exciting landscape plants. Most benefit from winter protection, or by siting them against a house wall, and all need full sun for good fruit production.

[chauqg]

Great post....thank you.

BTW. Zia in Italian is aunt. Letizia might mean aunt Leti. None the less hope this fig lives up,to its growing reputation.

[Taverna78]

Zia = Aunt
Zio = Uncle
Cugino = Cousin
Fratello = Brother
Sorella = Sister
Padre = Papa
Madre = Mama
Nonno = Grandfather
Nonna = Grandmother
Amico = Friend
Signore = Man
Signora = Woman

Italia 101 ahahaha

[jmaler]

Thanks Mike, tis good to know.

[Taverna78]

Continue from comment above...

Italia 101 comment ahahaha also

Grazie = Thanks you
Prego = you welcome
Come stai = how are you

Most important

Fico = ???😉

[pduitsman]

This is my Letizia, ordered in April 2014 from Burpee. Well rooted cutting grew straight up. This year I pinched to shape and it has made a nice well branched tree. Setting figs. Hope to be able to answer the question of how it tastes later this summer. Enjoyed reading the background on how it was named. It is a nice tribute to her.

Penny
South of Austin TX.

[don_sanders]

How many dogs do you have? I see about 13 in the picture

[pduitsman]

I currently have 72 here at Red Hawk Ranch Chihuahuas. They are "free range chihuahuas" that guard the figs - no squirrels or rabbits or gophers get a free meal. www.rhrchihuahuapuppies.com.

[don_sanders]

Wow! Nice.

[pduitsman]

Letizia update - This was taken today on the "Letizia" tree. I was expecting a brown fig from the description. It did loose leaves after our torrential rains of May and June and the rust that followed. The numerous small figs are now mostly exposed to the central Texas sun.

[jmaler]

Pretty fig. Not bad for its second year. I hope my does as well. Oh, mine dropped all its leaves. Starting to push new leaves now.

[pduitsman]

This Letizia sure does not match Burpee's description. Do you have Hardy Chicago? I have one but it's from Hirt's so is probably mislabeled as well, so I have nothing to compare it to. The Panachee I got from Hirt's was a longish purple fig . . Giving the "Panachee NOT" and some others away tomorrow that were mislabeled and nothing special. On a good note, The Peter's Honey and Texas Blue Giant I got from Apache001-2 on Ebay look to be true to name. Both have fruited. Going to pick the first big Texas Blue Giant tomorrow!

[jmaler]

My Hardy Chicago and Texas BA-1 are in Fort Worth on their way from Edible Landscaping in Virginia. I got a "Tiger" from Maldonados in New Braunfels. The leaves show some variegation but no figs on it yet. The Peter's Honey and Texas Blue Giant I got from Apache001-2 on Ebay as well. They are small though.

Sorry to hear about your experience with Hirt's but good to know.

[eboone]

How was the taste/flavor compared to HC?

[chuckell]

a little better i would say ed,but my chicago is sweet and yummy too. though ,but letiza is a little better i would say delicious,

[jmaler]

Here is photo of my Letizia today in a #6900 nursery pot. It was received from Burpee's 5/6/2015. It's coming right along.

[Charlie]

Nice plant Jerry. Interesting thread, makes me want one.

[chuckell]

very nice, you will like this tree and it's fruit is delicious

[Charlie]

Couldn't stand it any more and got one on the way. If it's as good or better than HC then I have to have it.

[chuckell]

a little better .

[Charlie]

Made a compiled blog article about this fig and would like for you all to review and either approve or not since I used quotes and photo's directly from this thread. If any one does not approve for any reason, I will gladly delete it. I love the history and was compelled to share it. All quotes used were linked back directly to the appropriate thread comment. http://figsfortsmith.blogspot.com/20...mith-area.html

[chuckell]

i don't mind at all thanks for sharing my pictures and comments ,good job i checked it out,and i approve this.

[Charlie]

Thanks Chuck

[jkuo]

I picked my first ripe Letizia a few days ago. It was sweet with hints of berry. The flavor reminds me a lot of my Hardy Chicago.

[chuckell]

yes mine too. but deff not chicago hardy tree as many suggest

[jkuo]

At this point, I agree. Letizia is probably different than Hardy Chicago, but I wouldn't be surprised if my tress became increasingly similar as they aged. So far, Letizia looks like a Mt Etna type to me.

[Charlie]

Brought Letizia inside the grow room on 10/24 and it has grown like mad. I agree leaf pattern looks very similar to HC but my HC has much bigger leaves. Both are putting on figlets under artificial light. So are a few other varieties.

[baust55]

hello I recently ordered a Letizia fig tree from Burpee to be delivered in spring . I live in S.E. Nebraska zone 5b . I grow in pots out doors I store in a cold dark room in basement for a few months winters .

Austin