The LSU AgCenter has a history in fig breeding that dates back to the 1950s. LSU AgCenter horticulturist Jason Stagg discusses the program and five fig varieties that have been released- Tiger, Champagne, LSU Purple, LSU Gold and O’Rourke. Learn more about the fig breeding program: https://www.lsuagcenter.com/articles/page1628193647964
This video was produced by Anna Ribbeck, LSU AgCenter social media strategist, and edited by Matt Faust, LSU AgCenter media producer. #Figs #LSUAgCenter
Hi everyone. I’m Jason Stagg with the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station, Now you’ll see this fig has a very distinctive shape. Look how oblong as the standard-bearer. Now Celeste is probably the most common fig. It’s a very old Southern Now while the fruit is beginning to mature, you’ll actually see a distinctive dark stripe on it, and then it’s going to ripen to this darker brown.
And one of the distinctive things I wanted to talk to you a little bit about LSU’s wonderful fig breeding program. Now a lot of folks heirloom fig. Many people had this in their yards for many years.
Celeste is a small, dark brown fig market today. Generally when we’re talking about figs in Louisiana we generally reference Celeste may not realize that the LSU AgCenter had a great fig breeding program back in the 1950s and 60s.
bred between Celeste and the Caprifig C1 again, and you can see that it’s a fairly large fruit. Jimmy Boudreaux actually revived a lot of that work and brought us these varieties that we know on the actually ripe.
So what I do is I go out to the tree and actually squeeze them a little And basically, this is like a much larger Celeste that’s not quite as dark brown. When it comes to cold tolerance, LSU Purple is probably best grown in South Louisiana.
than LSU Gold. However, the tree is probably the most vigorous of the LSU varieties and can get quite large. 2000s, but the original work was done decades ago by Dr. Ed O’Rourke. Dr. Charlie Johnson and Dr.
maybe about a week or so, but you’re still going to get about two weeks of production out of it. Now one of the other very recognizable LSU AgCenter figs is LSU Gold. It couldn’t be more different from LSU Purple.
But it is sweet and it tastes wonderful. Now O’Rourke gets ripe about the same time as once it gets ripe. But because of that this one is the most difficult to figure out when it’s locally owned garden centers and if you don’t see the variety that you’re looking for, ask bit and when you get that ripe avocado feel, you know it’s ready to harvest.
If you wait a little to beat you to it. But this is probably one of the largest LSU figs there is out there. If we get a heavy thunderstorm or something it might sour that fig, or the birds are going Although it is a yellow fig, it’s got this more oblong shape right here and it’s much smaller it’s going to get a little darker when it gets ripe, but it’s super glossy, very dark purple, and you’ll get a crop for about two weeks.
This is LSU Purple and this is probably the most distinct it is. It’s a little bit different than many of the other figs, but LSU Purple is a great fig of all the LSU breeding efforts. Look at that beautiful dark color.
As a matter of fact, ornamental edible in the landscape as well. Now this one ripens a little bit earlier than Celeste, excellent for our region are sometimes hard to find. So your best bet is to contact one of your that’s very, very sweet and it generally ripens around July the Fourth or the first week of July, and again, it will hold its fruit and give you a full harvest period for about two weeks.
So Champagne is another LSU fig that originally people called Golden Celeste. Its parents are Now a lot of these varieties were not actually brought to market until the 1990s or the early So the next variety of LSU fig that I wanted to talk to you about is Tiger.
Now Tiger was Celeste and Caprifig 1, and you’ll notice that it has a totally different shape from Gold. that you’ll notice about Tiger is sometimes it throws leaves that don’t have any lobes on it.
Now Tiger generally is going to ripen about the same time as Celeste It’s a really large fig. Now this one’s not quite ripe so it’s still very green, but it’s going to get a little more yellowy gold bit too long you’ll see that that ostiole, or that eye at the end, is a little bit open.
many people called it Improved Celeste because the parents are Celeste and again Caprifig 1. Celeste does and will produce for about two weeks. Now the LSU fig varieties while they’re So this is O’Rourke, which was named after Dr.
Ed O’Rourke. Now originally when this fig was released, them to reach out to some of their wholesale suppliers and see if they can get some for you.
