Saying "hello"... and of course, newbie question that brought me here!

[silveradocanman]

Howdy everyone, glad to be joining this very niche group, of passionate fig growers

I have a lot to learn, and I'm sure a lot of you will facilitate my eagerness to grow some awesome fig trees!

I have a newb question, to start. My family moved into our house 2 years ago which has an adjoining creek bed flowing through it (rare for Southern California!). In the creek bed I quickly noticed that there was abundance of fig trees growing in there, not knowing any better I had been waiting these past couple years for fruit to form, some of these trees are huge. Out of the 30+ different fig trees growing, there is ONE that has set figs both years.

Now doing more and more research, my guess is that someone's fig tree upstream has been sending figs down my way, and they being fertilized (?) by a local wasp (?) They have been starting from seed in my section of the creek (?) and ONE is actually a female plant that produces figs (?)

Is my thinking correct? And if so, is my creek fig a new cultivar? It is a green fig with strawberry flesh, it's very good in my opinion, although I don't have much to compare it with. In these cases do people name their own fig cultivar?

And finally, does anyone want to try a few cuttings of this guy and maybe tell me how it compares to the "proven" cultivars?

Any input would be much appreciated! And thank you in advance!

Mike

[fitzski]

First of all, welcome to forum. Second, congratulations on having water on your property in SoCal.

With respect to identifying your fig tree, what folks usually do is post pictures of the leaves and the fruit (next to a coin for scale). There are many many types of green figs with strawberry flesh.

I look forward to the pictures of you "creek" fig.

Here's a link that some new folks find helpful.

http://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-home/15744-index-of-frequently-referenced-topics

[Erick]

Welcome Mike..

[figgrower]

Welcome to the group.

[silveradocanman]

First of all, welcome to forum. Second, congratulations on having water on your property in SoCal.

With respect to identifying your fig tree, what folks usually do is post pictures of the leaves and the fruit (next to a coin for scale). There are many many types of green figs with strawberry flesh.

Thanks for the response, yeah I have seen all the varieties out there. My question was more to the point of if all these figs were started from seed, and figs trees not being true to type from seed, does that inherently make it a new cultivar?

I think I'll have to wait till next year to get a proper ID. I was more just curious about the reproduction possibilities, speculating that it was (most likely) grown from seed.

[fitzski]

I know that Apples grown from seeds are never true to type but I'm not sure if figs behave the same.

If the fig pollen was from variety X and the wasp pollinated variety X do you still get variety X?

I don't know the answer to that question, maybe someone else can answer that. Good Luck.

Either way, it's kind of cool that you have "wild" fig trees on your property

[figgrower]

The fig should be a new variety.

[figgrower]

This website may be helpful. http://fruitandnuteducation.ucdavis....g_Propagation/ I am a newbie like yourself, but I would love to grow it out and compare it to the figs that I have tried.

[fitzski]

ok, i guess that answer my question. We have a new fig variety.

One thing that will be interesting is to see if it needs the wasp for main crop figs.

Kevin

[DaveL]

Hi Mike, welcome to the forum. Just wondering is your profile picture the creek you mentioned.

[silveradocanman]

It is indeed

[silveradocanman]

I know it's not very clear, but this is the only picture I can find, the figs aren't ripe in the pic, but it's the best I have. I can get a clear picture of the leaves when I get home tonight.

[fitzski]

Are all the leaves the same? Or do you have leaves with different number of lobes?

[silveradocanman]

Not all the leaves are the same, it appears to have two different kinds. I'll post pictures down below.

[don_sanders]

Welcome. Pretty cool to possibly have a new variety growing in your back yard.

[AscPete]

Hello Mike,

Welcome to our figs forum community.

In the sticky topic linked by Kevin in post #2 is this document, http://www.crfgsandiego.org/Presenta...ible%20Fig.pdf It was published by California Rare Fruit Growers it has good info on figs especially in California...

If the tree is a seedling then there is no reason why you couldn't name it since there are no official governing bodies.
There are a few naming convention practiced in the Fig Forum Communities, http://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-ho...any-other-name but they do not actually apply to seedlings. Good Luck

[silveradocanman]

Some great conversation in that thread. Thanks!

[eboone]

The other possibility is that the female fig was planted in the past, and the wild caprifigs around it are the result of pollinated figs from the fruiting fig plant dropped to the ground naturally or thru bird / animal droppings. Can you be sure the area was not a small garden or orchard planted in past?

[silveradocanman]

Yeah, the area in which it is growing is very random, amongst native trees and plants, on the side of the creek bed.

I'm 99.9% sure it was not planted there by humans.

[Hershell]

Welcome to the forum Mike but be ware of Mike, he's a trouble maker. So I see that you already started bragging about having seedlings and a creek and being in Southern California. Sounds like a great place to grow figs, congratulations I'm sure you will fit in here and find a lot of us would like a cutting from any tree that produces edible figs or not. Any way, Welcome aboard! Oh and watch out for Wills too

[silveradocanman]

Haha Hershell! Something tells me I need to become friends with you! Let me know if you want some cuttings!

[Hershell]

One day Mike I will have time. Thanks my friend.

[silveradocanman]

So there are two different kinds of leaves it appears, what does that mean?

[silveradocanman]

[Taverna78]

Ciao and welcome to you new home... From what I have learned here is almost impossible to determine Fig tree by just leaf. I have many tree that have couple different leaf on same tree. Even then when you have ripe fruit unless it's a easy determination or ultra clear photo will still be hard to tell. But I assure you some one here we'll help you figure out !
Think tis way... You are very lucky to have growing Fig in your life and that you wish to learn more as where some people can't grow or care to have AND you have natural water stream in Cali. The stream is a bonus alone from what I hear about Cali water issues.

Welcome again

[fitzski]

As Mike said above, many figs have different types of leaves. It's just one piece of the puzzle. A ripe fruit is the next piece but seeing you have the wasp in your area and it looks to have grown wild, it's most likely a new type of fig.

The leaves/fruit may help narrow down it's parentage though.

It kind of looks like a Conadria to me or maybe a cousin.

http://figs4fun.com/Thumbnail_Conadria.html

[Q*]

Welcome to the forum Mike! Being in So Cal...you're going to run into a lot of random fig trees growing everywhere!...especially in Orange County!... When I go "fig hunting"....I've run into hundreds of wild fig trees...most grow no figs at all...a hand full grow caprifigs(male figs) that aren't edible...and once in a blue moon...you'll find a tree that has female edible fruit. It's most likely a hybrid from a local pollinated tree and spread by bird poop. I have 3 unknowns that I've collected from random flood control basins....next to hiking trails...randomly on the side of the road....I'm currently growing them in Arizona seeing if they need pollination to set fruit.(if they need pollination to set fruit...it's worthless to anybody outside of Southern California) Good luck with your new found tree! There are lots of really nice people here with tons of knowledge!

[silveradocanman]

Great! That's really cool, I'm glad you chimed in! Let me know if you want to try this one over in Arizona, I'd be happy to send you some cuttings.

[Q*]

You're gonna find that the hybrids are pretty darn good tasting figs. The thing is....they are hybrids of very common varieties of figs found locally(the fig trees sold at Home Depot). If they are green....they are almost always a hybrid of a Kadota....and if they are purple...they are almost always a hybrid of a brown turkey or black mission....unless you live in an area where you have Italians with nice fig collections....then the sky is the limit on what kind of hybrid you have! Warning....growing figs is a very addicting hobby....two or three....turns into 10....then 25....then 100...then they take over your life!!!!(jk)

[eboone]

then they take over your life!!!!

I think that starts earlier than 100...

[lilfiggy]

Hi welcome to our home. you will like everyone here no egos and tons of knowledge.

[Harborseal]

Welcome! There are numerous streams and rivers in CA with lots of seedling fig trees as you describe. If you google waynes word fig sex you'll get the scoop on caprifigs and common figs. If you have caprifigs, PM me!