8 thoughts on “Hardy Fruit and Nut Overview”

  1. Hello,
    I wanted to get your opinion on the varieties I’ve acquired cuttings for from trading scions of a special wild mulberry seedling and a really excellent unknown apple variety I found after hunting for an taste testing countless ones around the town where i live in Petersburg WV these two were the best. (let me know if you would like to trade closer to spring mulberry and apple scions for fig cuttings).
    Here are the varieties I have gotten cuttings for so far: How are these?
    Niagara black (simular to LDA)
    Red Lebanese bk
    Lsu tiger
    Campaniere
    Kesariani
    Smith
    Chicago hardy
    RDB
    Improved Celeste ( bareroot tree)
    Yellow long neck
    UNK Sicilian dark
    Strawberry verte (bareroot tree)
    White Marseilles
    Sangue Dolce

    Thank you,

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    1. I have my hands full and am not looking for new scionwood, thanks.

      Your list of figs is great. I’m not entirely familiar with all those varieties, but what I do know about many of them can be found on this website, under the varieties links and elsewhere.

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  2. That list is too long. There are a number of Mt Etnas on that list, so any of those. I’ll cut and paste something I wrote recently:
    In short seasons anything in ground is tough. Assuming you’re using pots and know what you’re doing, then the first two varieties you want are Mt Etna (aka Hardy Chicago, etc) and Ronde de Bordeaux. After that, Improved Celeste, Nordland (aka Longue d’Aout, etc), and Florea. With those five stalwarts, I would absolutely grow Brooklyn White, Long Yellow (aka Yellow Longneck), Violet Sepor (aka possibly Bourjasotte Grise), and LSU Tiger, and TRY Negretta, Violette de Bordeaux (aka Vista, etc), LSU Purple, Lattarula (aka Italian Honey, etc), and Lemon (aka Blanche, etc). These will give you your best chance at good production with decent to first-rate flavor (actually they are all first-rate flavor, while Lemon is decent, very resiny, but super productive). In my experience at least. Plus you could go with a few other varieties that other people have better experience with than myself: Teramo, Iranian Candy, Smith (aka TX BA-1) come to mind. Most other figs are a bit more tricky in short seasons. That said, you should absolutely try Figo Preto and a Verte (aka possibly De La Gloria, Paradiso Bronze, etc) or Green Ischia (aka possibly Battaglia Green, Paradiso GM-9, etc) synonym. Though late these have enough vigor to just make it often, and are premier flavor.

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  3. Hello I’m about to start my fig collection. I ĺive in Petersburg West Virginia zone 6b I’m going to store them in my garage during winter.
    Which are the best varieties ýou recommend for a beginner in our area? I would like berry flavors. From reading your info are these the best top 3. Thank you so much
    Rende de Bordeaux
    Improved Celeste
    Chicago hardy

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    1. Yes, except that Florea will give you more berry flavor than Improved Celeste which is basically a sugar fig. Florea is sugar-berry. I would go with Improved Celeste as the third or fourth fig though because it is as early as RdB and Florea, with a good shape and plenty good flavor too. You could also go with Nordland/Longue d’Aout as a top 3-5 fig, because it is typically twice as big as those figs and with good berry flavor. Its main crop is a bit later ripening than those figs, but it can have huge breba figs ripen early. The flavor of the breba figs may be only so-so some of the time.

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    2. For your location in pots, I would recommend either Hardy Chicago or Ronde de Bordeaux and give the edge to Hardy Chicago. RdB is earlier but can sometimes be a more finicky producer than HC. That said, you may prefer one flavor to the other, something only you can pick. And in a variety of ways only trial and error will determine which may be best for you….

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