Ischia TC = not a Green Ischia

[jkuo]

My tissue culture "Ischia" ripened the lone fig that didn't drop or get knocked off. I was hoping for Green Ischia, but apparently it's not to be. Over on F4F, the guess is a White Marseilles. I'd agree with that since this fig tasted pretty similar to my Italian Honey.

[FarmerGreg]

Where did you get your tc ischia come from? I bought one of the infamous blue? Ischia from Hirt's. You would think keeping track of tc plants would not be that difficult.

[jkuo]

I got mine through Florida Hills nursery. I also got a TC VdB there, and it appears to be true. I'm a little annoyed that the Ischia is mislabeled.

[Sunshinefig]

My first "Green Ischia" fig was also white/amber with a sweet but bland flavor. My plant came from Ison's. Sure was surprised when it wasn't strawberry red inside!

[lewi]

Many vendors buy from Agristarts, or use cuttings from their product. When buying from Isons best to stick to the muscadines, my order was delayed because I ordered a pecan tree...now they did send extra Carlos ( muscadine) in the package, but that did not help me in an (over) year long drought.

[quackmaster]

That's is exactly how my blue ischia figs look as well! And I went and planted 2 in my yard, they grow faster then the rest but no where near as productive yet, I'm guessing white Marseilles was sold as a few different varieties!

[COGardener]

Could it be partially due to the age of the tree, soil or atmospheric conditions or a combination there of?

[jkuo]

Scott, I think it's too much of a co-incidence that this many people on the forums have found "Ischia" not to be true to the description. It's likely that Agristarts and resellers mislabeled a batch of plants.

[COGardener]

Indeed. Perhaps someone should inform Agristarts.

[Yeehova]

If you want the real Green Ischia you should try Petals From the Past. Mine matches the description and is a very nice fig.

[slowpoke]

Here's my contribution, any idea what my "Ischia" from Florida HIlls Nursery (https://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-h...es#post1198482) might be?

I would guess some type of Mt. Etna

[TNJed]

Hopefully taste my this season from Wellsprings I think. Leaves look like possible Green Ischia but 🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️

[Figgerlickinggood]

TNJed hopefully my TC YLN from Wellsprings wil finally produce figs this year. It’s growing really nice this year and making a lot of suckers. It’s now 3 years old.

[don_sanders]

Most likely Chicago Hardy.

[CliffH]

I have frequently seen advertised "Ischia" fig from a nursery turn out to be a White Marseilles. More often that not.

I am not sure that I have every seen a Ischia fig, from a commercial nursery, that was actually what we in the forum would call a Green Ischia (which is kind of a generic term for an Adriatic).


Cliff H

[Rudy]

I think it is White Ischia, several threads here mention it. Mine is sink or swim this year as it hasn’t fruited in 5 years.

[Red_Sun]

That white Ischia TC has nothing to do with Green Ischia. The real White Marseilles is a medium size fig, like 45g size. My friend bought her "Ischia" fig and she thought the same that this is the Green Ischia. But it is not Green Ischia. I do not think it is White Marseilles either. What is it? I do not know. Not Tena either.

Here is my Green Ischia





Here is my Princeton Honey (White Marseilles)

[Figgerlickinggood]

Looks like an Italian honey/ latarulla.

[lewi]

I too was told Agristarts "Ischia" is "White Ischia", really who knows..looks exactly like the figs I got from mine.

Mine had a slight berry/ melon flavor, good, not great. The upside is it was vigorous and grew into a big tree in FL in no time, and has a very tight eye.

[Red_Sun]

I do not know where the confusion is. If you look up the F4F database, Ischia is right there. The Ischia TC matches the F4F Ischia or White Ischia correctly. And I do not think Agristarts is wrong this time around.

[slowpoke]

It's just a mess with TCs and places that sell them. I don't really care that much as it was a "cheap" plant when I was starting out, but that's how they advertised it, just Ischia. Not sure if they messed it up or Agristarts (or whoever supplies them).

Mine seems to match their photo though, just wondering what it is (maybe Hardy Chicago?):

https://floridahillnursery.com/plants/fig-plants-ficus-carica/fig-plant-ischia-ficus-carica-fig-tree-plant-cold-hardy-fig-2/

[lewi]

Well that settles it for me, my Agristarts / Wellsprings tree did not have a red or reddish purple flesh /interior.
Neither do the rest of the "Ischia" from Agristarts that other people have, that I have seen on the internet.

So it's something else being passed off as Ischia.

[lewi]

@Slowpoke

Here is the current Agristarts list ( The available cultivars has shrunk some since last time I looked).

https://www.agristarts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.main/typeID/45/index.htm

I cant find your fig there, looks like Florida hill sourced form somewhere else.. I hope your fig turns out to be a winner regardless.

[Red_Sun]

Here's my contribution, any idea what my "Ischia" from Florida HIlls Nursery (https://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-h...es#post1198482) might be?

I would guess some type of Mt. Etna

It is close to impossible to ID Mt. Etna figs. There are about 30 "named" Mt. Etna figs. A lot more heritage Mt. Etna figs too. They all look alike.

My 2nd year Italian III (AD) have figlets now. That is all I care.

I do not like to buy fig plants from stores. Those wholesale growers are not reliable.

[don_sanders]

While there are lots of Mt Etnas, most of them aren’t tissue cultured and mass marketed so the selection pool of varieties is greatly reduced in this case…

[Red_Sun]

No one knows if this Mt. Etna is a TC fig or not. And we do not know where they get the plants and who the supplier or grower is. Or it can be some mistake of mis-labeled etc...

[slowpoke]

"No one knows if this Mt. Etna is a TC fig or not."

Here's from the website where I bought it from: "Plants for sale are Ficus Carica “Ischia” fig Tree plant Plants for sale is currently growing at between 4-12″ Each plant is lab grown from tissue cultures to be a Disease free plant. Cuttings will carry any diseases the donor plant may have and with.." I guess they could be lying about that, but it sure looked like a TC when I got it:

https://www.ourfigs.com/filedata/fetch?id=1087116&d=1636912668