Photo of Mount Etna in Scilly, Italy, where these figs get their name. Mt Etna is the worlds most active volcano.
Mt. Etna Figs
Malta Black
Marseilles Black VS
Red Lebanese Bekaa Valley
Hardy Chicago
Tony Rosebank
Norella
Abington Unknown*
Azores Dark*
Black Bethlehem*
Mt. Etna Unknown*
Old BrooklynItalian*
Sicilian Dark*
Takoma Violet*
cold hardy - purple skinned - red pulp - fairly early ripening - Mt. Etna Figs
Marseilles Black VS pictured above
Over 5.5 Million Italians emigrated to the USA in the 1800’s and 1900’s mainly from Southern Italy due to poor economic times and the desire for a better life. Many brought figs stick in their luggage from their local communities to plant in this new land called America. Figs were a common source of fruit in Italy and also sugar families could easily harvest, dry, bake with, and have access throughout the winters. Figs represented their home land, and the idea that if this tree could survive in this new land, their family could too.
Many of these dark purple skinned, red pulp figs were hardy in big cities as far North as New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. One can often still see the old trees lining the streets or in backyards in the old Italian neighborhoods of these cities.
Bury your fig trees?
Italian emigrants learned they could bury their fig tree in the Fall and dig them up in the Spring time if the varieties were not cold hardy enough for their climate. My grandfather moved to Detroit from Italy and trimmed his fig tree down it in the late Fall, dug half the roots up, wrapping in an old carpet, and laid it down to buried it under soil in order to survive the winter. When Spring came the tree was dug up and planted upright again. Over time these cold hardy figs trees with red pulp and purple skin became known as Mount Etna fig trees. Theory has it, since Mount Etna is cold and most of the emigrants with fig trees were bringing them from Italy, Mt. Etna was where the cold hardest of the fig trees came from. Today many other dark skinned, red pulp figs fit in this category, but people know some of these purple skinned figs been brought to the United States from other locations in Italy and other countries. Legend has it Marseilles Black came to the United States from a US solder returning from France after World War II. Marseilles Black VS was rediscovered or that version was discovered here in the US and distributed by a man named Vasile Surugiu hence the initials VS on the end of the name.
Marseilles Black VS pictured above
Over 5.5 Million Italians emigrated to the USA in the 1800’s and 1900’s mainly from Southern Italy due to poor economic times and the desire for a better life. Many brought figs stick in their luggage from their local communities to plant in this new land called America. Figs were a common source of fruit in Italy and also sugar families could easily harvest, dry, bake with, and have access throughout the winters. Figs represented their home land, and the idea that if this tree could survive in this new land, their family could too.
Many of these dark purple skinned, red pulp figs were hardy in big cities as far North as New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. One can often still see the old trees lining the streets or in backyards in the old Italian neighborhoods of these cities.
Bury your fig trees?
Italian emigrants learned they could bury their fig tree in the Fall and dig them up in the Spring time if the varieties were not cold hardy enough for their climate. My grandfather moved to Detroit from Italy and trimmed his fig tree down it in the late Fall, dug half the roots up, wrapping in an old carpet, and laid it down to buried it under soil in order to survive the winter. When Spring came the tree was dug up and planted upright again. Over time these cold hardy figs trees with red pulp and purple skin became known as Mount Etna fig trees. Theory has it, since Mount Etna is cold and most of the emigrants with fig trees were bringing them from Italy, Mt. Etna was where the cold hardest of the fig trees came from. Today many other dark skinned, red pulp figs fit in this category, but people know some of these purple skinned figs been brought to the United States from other locations in Italy and other countries. Legend has it Marseilles Black came to the United States from a US solder returning from France after World War II. Marseilles Black VS was rediscovered or that version was discovered here in the US and distributed by a man named Vasile Surugiu hence the initials VS on the end of the name.
Marseilles Black VS
(MBVS)
I have grow Marseilles Black VS as a hydroponic fig both indoors and outside and as a potted fig both indoors and outside. No matter what setup you use this is a great tasting Mt. Etna fig.
Red Lebanese Bekaa Valley
(RLBV)
first ripe RLBV fig of the year 8/26/23
One of the best tasting figs of the year! RLBV 10/3/23
no cracking - hung on the tree longer - lucky the critters did not find these two
Amazing how the pulp looks like a completely different fig when left on the tree for a long time.
no cracking - hung on the tree longer - lucky the critters did not find these two
Amazing how the pulp looks like a completely different fig when left on the tree for a long time.
Nice cracking on this larger, tasty RLBV - 10/6/23
Red Lebanese Bekaa Valley
(RLBV)
I love RLBV because it has a hint of sweetness later in the Fall in cool temperatures when other Mt. Etna figs lose their sweetness. It has a very thin skin, a fairly tight eye and that can develop cracks.
It may not be the best tasting fig if you live in California, but Mt. Etna type figs are some of the best we can produce in short season climates. It is a good producer, and you get plenty of figs that will ripen which is always hard to beat.
Some people might not consider it a Mt. Etna type, because of the name stating it is from Lebanon not from Italy. But it develops the purple skin, red pulp, early production, and fits what people describe as Mt.Etna type figs today. If you can let it hang on the tree for a long time it gets so much better.
(RLBV)
I love RLBV because it has a hint of sweetness later in the Fall in cool temperatures when other Mt. Etna figs lose their sweetness. It has a very thin skin, a fairly tight eye and that can develop cracks.
It may not be the best tasting fig if you live in California, but Mt. Etna type figs are some of the best we can produce in short season climates. It is a good producer, and you get plenty of figs that will ripen which is always hard to beat.
Some people might not consider it a Mt. Etna type, because of the name stating it is from Lebanon not from Italy. But it develops the purple skin, red pulp, early production, and fits what people describe as Mt.Etna type figs today. If you can let it hang on the tree for a long time it gets so much better.
Tony Rosebank Fig
(T-ROSE)
Tony Rosebank Fig came from the Rosebank area of Staten Island, New York.
The Italian family had the mother fig tree growing in their yard for generations. Like many old Mt. Etna fig trees found growing in old neighborhoods of New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, it is considered an Heirloom Fig tree. The current owner Tony was having construction done and the original tree was cut up and small branches distributed to save this prolific heirloom variety.
My twoTony Rosebank fig sticks grew well into small trees its their first year and fruited more prolifically than any other other 1st year fig trees. Many people might dismiss it since it is very similar to Chicago Hardy in taste and has a smaller fruit size. In all, it is a good cold hard Mt. Etna fig, very similar to Chicago Hardy with a story. My two Tony Rosebank figs in their first year produced an average of 28 ripe figs in our short season, where as my two Chicago Hardy started on the same date only produced an average of 8 figs per tree, but the Chicago Hardy were larger, had a smaller pith, white area around the pulp, a slight peach fuzz to the skin and tasted similar to the Chicago Hardy.
The Italian family had the mother fig tree growing in their yard for generations. Like many old Mt. Etna fig trees found growing in old neighborhoods of New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, it is considered an Heirloom Fig tree. The current owner Tony was having construction done and the original tree was cut up and small branches distributed to save this prolific heirloom variety.
My twoTony Rosebank fig sticks grew well into small trees its their first year and fruited more prolifically than any other other 1st year fig trees. Many people might dismiss it since it is very similar to Chicago Hardy in taste and has a smaller fruit size. In all, it is a good cold hard Mt. Etna fig, very similar to Chicago Hardy with a story. My two Tony Rosebank figs in their first year produced an average of 28 ripe figs in our short season, where as my two Chicago Hardy started on the same date only produced an average of 8 figs per tree, but the Chicago Hardy were larger, had a smaller pith, white area around the pulp, a slight peach fuzz to the skin and tasted similar to the Chicago Hardy.
The Tony Rosebank fig is slightly smaller than the Hardy Chicago and does not have the little bit of peach fuzz that the Chicago Hardy figs often have.
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First ripe fig taken August 8th,
Like all figs they do get better with age and later in the season. |
A one year old Tony Rosebank fig tree in a 5-gallon trade pot produced 30 ripe figs.
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Tony Rosebank fig is a typical Mt. Etna type fig, very similar in taste to the commonly grown Chicago Hardy Fig.
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Chicago Hardy
It has become the most distributed Mt. Etna type of fig. Sometimes it is referred to as Hardy Chicago. Consumers were impressed that it may survive many winters planted outdoors as far North as Chicago. Often even farther North or in colder climates such as Detroit, the roots can survive the winter, but the tree will die back to the ground. The problem is with dieback to the ground, there is not always a long enough season for the tree to regrow and still produce ripe figs in a short season area. Like all figs trees, it does produces ripe figs much sooner planted in a large pot and over wintered in an attached garage avoiding any winter dieback. Mine is a heavy producer like most Mt. Etnas, and Mt Etna type figs are among the best figs one can grow in a short growing season.
Hardy Chicago Leaf
Norella
A tasty productive variety.
Mine is still too young to evaluate I have had one from my tree that was much better than these.
Mine is still too young to evaluate I have had one from my tree that was much better than these.
Norella leaf