Frosted Fig Trees. 11.13.14

Frosted Fig Trees.  L=Hardy Chicago.  R=Petite Aubique.  11.13.14

Frosted King Fig.  11.13.14

Last night there was a hard frost at 28° F.    The fig trees in Vancouver still had leaves which have not turned yellow or fallen.  I don't know the effect on the tree.  Some trees, if not dormant when they frees, can die.

Interesting to look at the difference.  Hardy Chicago, no damage.  Petite Aubique, leaves are frost killed.

It isn't the end of the world if there is freeze kill.  Just interested in the differences, and whether there is.

In the (South) back yard, King had some freeze killed leaves, while Lattarula, a few feet away, did not.

The one - year - old starts, Carini and Dominick, already went dormant and I placed them in the garage a few days ago.

Same with Smith, which has been dormant for a few weeks.

Carini is Sicilian.  Dominick is an Italian variety, otherwise not known what part of Italy.  Both were maintained by Italian Immigrants and their children/grandchildren for many decades.  Cuttings were via their proud families or friends in N. Jersey.

Hardy Chicago is also Sicilian.  Via New York, then Chicago. 

King is a California hybrid.  I suppose Petite Aubique is French, although it was mis-named and who knows.

Smith is a Louisiana fig, kept by family, reportedly introduced by the Becnel Nursery near New Orleans.   A Louisiana fig blogger reports that Smith was sold by the Becnel Nursery in Bell Chase, LA, and was a Croatian variety, while others thought it Italian.    Smith is not  on the LSU Ag Center fig pamphlet , or in an article in the Times-Picayune from last year, - apparently not widely grown.  According to Durio Nursery in Opelousas, LA, " Smith - A superior, old fig cultivar that has been in the Becnel family for over 100 years.  It is a big, flattened, yellow fig with brown shading.  The color of the flesh is a deep red and it has a drop of honey at the eye.  The quality of this exceptionally sweet fig is outstanding...considered "the best fig" by those who know and grow it in the parishes close to the mouth of the Mississippi river."  Coming from an area that is so much warmer than here - I still remember boot camp at Ft. Polk, LA, standing outside in formation in short sleeves, in January - Smith is unproven, probably untested here.  So I have one in the ground, and the other in container.

Frosted Lattarula Fig.  11.13.14

 I've kept fig trees in garage for the winter, many times.  It's an attached, but otherwise unheated garage.

Lattarula is more difficult to figure out the provenance.  It is the same fig, grown by Thomas Jefferson at Marseilles, as "White Marseilles".    It's also called "Blanche", "Italian Honey Fig", and "Lemon Fig".    This tree is well known for this area (as is King), so I imagine the frost won't bother it this year either.  It's been through worse.

Fig Starts in Garage.  Dominick, Carini.  11.13.14

2 year old Smith Fig in Garage.  12.11.14