Consensus on Latarulla as In-Ground Honey Fig in Zone 7a?

W

wyanokie

Active member
I've been reading much of the existing info regarding some of the top figs to grow in the Northeast. I often see RDB, Florea, the Etnas, DTE, and HdA among other standards, and newer-comers Green Michurinska and Iranian Candy seem to be making a name for themselves. Yet when I dig a little deeper, it seems like many of the old-time growers in zones 6b and above had Latarulla as a standby 'white' fig that they grew in ground. I've even seen reports of Latarullas that were a few years old no longer needing protection from winter, producing heavily, ripening within a week of the Etnas, and even producing brebas according to some. The taste, when the tree is mature, is often described as not complex, but pure honey with a touch of melon. The only drawback that I'm perceiving is that they're not stacking up to the taste tests in side-by-side comparisons with the more complex berry figs.

My rationale for asking is that I'd like to put one of my two honey figs in the ground this year. They are both 1 year old. I have Peter's Honey and Latarulla. My PH didn't fruit this year, but Latarulla tasted pretty good to me the first year, and I understand that it only gets better. I've read many great reviews about PH and have no intention of getting rid of it, but my research has led me to believe that PH can be a little on the later side compared to Latarulla. Basically, they both will stay in the collection, but one stays in the pot and one goes in ground. I'd love to hear your thoughts, and if possible, any side by side comparisons on these two! I'm in Zone 7a, NJ. Many thanks for your help and experience.
 
Mine is in a pot, though I have been considering putting it in ground.
Just haven't made the plunge yet.
Too many choices, I have to be picky about who gets a spot.
 
The Latarulla types have a long, good reputation in the north east for those growing light figs in ground. There are many phenotypes out there but if you find the right one, I think you could do well. I'm looking for a heavy producing white fig myself. If you find something good, keep me posted. :)
 
DCallahan said:
It lacks a complex taste, mostly straight sweet. It's not bad, but if I had limited space I'm looking for something with more character.
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For me personally, this is the thing with white figs. They don’t have the same complexity. That said, I’m coming around to their value. The (often) higher sugars can make them very good for specific uses. Preserving, wine etc. If serving with something salty or spicy, a sweeter fig can also be very nice and not overpower the other food.
 
ktrain said:
Sometimes a sugar bomb fig hits the spot, lol
And...hide from birds better than dark berry figs. :)
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That's one of the things I like about the honey figs, I found they're like a reset for the palate. Like that shot of Limoncello between courses. I think if all figs were berry flavored (as delicious as they are), it would be boring after a while, and I'd rather have something that tastes like honey with a hint of fig than something that's been described as straight sugar.

Many thanks to everyone for the good advice so far! Regarding the Latarulla vs. Peter's Honey in-ground, I think I might give it one more season to see how I like the taste of Peter's Honey compared to Latarulla, then make my decision. I've only tried immature (but fully ripened) Latarulla and it's not bad at all! If they only improve over time, then I'll have to make my decision carefully, or just throw both in ground and cull one later if I end up hating it (which is very unlikely to happen).

Does anyone know which zone Lou Monti is in?

@TorontoJoe I'm going to be trialing a white fig from a friend of mine that looks very similar to what has been described as Fico Bianco/Fico Bianca by Pino and others. Here's a photo by MountainFigs of a similar type: https://mountainfigs.net/varieties/varieties-a-l/fico-bianca/

My friend brought it over from Calabria many years ago and it survives, unprotected, against a wall of a building. I have never tried a fully ripened fig of this type, he gave me a few underripe figs to try over the summer, as the fully ripe ones were swarming with ants. They're HUGE and he prefers this to his other type, a green fig with red inside, smaller and sweeter. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.
 
wyanokie said:
That's one of the things I like about the honey figs, I found they're like a reset for the palate. Like that shot of Limoncello between courses. I think if all figs were berry flavored (as delicious as they are), it would be boring after a while, and I'd rather have something that tastes like honey with a hint of fig than something that's been described as straight sugar.

Many thanks to everyone for the good advice so far! Regarding the Latarulla vs. Peter's Honey in-ground, I think I might give it one more season to see how I like the taste of Peter's Honey compared to Latarulla, then make my decision. I've only tried immature (but fully ripened) Latarulla and it's not bad at all! If they only improve over time, then I'll have to make my decision carefully, or just throw both in ground and cull one later if I end up hating it (which is very unlikely to happen).

Does anyone know which zone Lou Monti is in?

@TorontoJoe I'm going to be trialing a white fig from a friend of mine that looks very similar to what has been described as Fico Bianco/Fico Bianca by Pino and others. Here's a photo by MountainFigs of a similar type: https://mountainfigs.net/varieties/varieties-a-l/fico-bianca/

My friend brought it over from Calabria many years ago and it survives, unprotected, against a wall of a building. I have never tried a fully ripened fig of this type, he gave me a few underripe figs to try over the summer, as the fully ripe ones were swarming with ants. They're HUGE and he prefers this to his other type, a green fig with red inside, smaller and sweeter. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.
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That’s a beautiful looking fig. I agree about the sweetness. Especially when pairing with something salty
 
wyanokie said:
That's one of the things I like about the honey figs, I found they're like a reset for the palate. Like that shot of Limoncello between courses. I think if all figs were berry flavored (as delicious as they are), it would be boring after a while, and I'd rather have something that tastes like honey with a hint of fig than something that's been described as straight sugar.

Many thanks to everyone for the good advice so far! Regarding the Latarulla vs. Peter's Honey in-ground, I think I might give it one more season to see how I like the taste of Peter's Honey compared to Latarulla, then make my decision. I've only tried immature (but fully ripened) Latarulla and it's not bad at all! If they only improve over time, then I'll have to make my decision carefully, or just throw both in ground and cull one later if I end up hating it (which is very unlikely to happen).

Does anyone know which zone Lou Monti is in?

@TorontoJoe I'm going to be trialing a white fig from a friend of mine that looks very similar to what has been described as Fico Bianco/Fico Bianca by Pino and others. Here's a photo by MountainFigs of a similar type: https://mountainfigs.net/varieties/varieties-a-l/fico-bianca/

My friend brought it over from Calabria many years ago and it survives, unprotected, against a wall of a building. I have never tried a fully ripened fig of this type, he gave me a few underripe figs to try over the summer, as the fully ripe ones were swarming with ants. They're HUGE and he prefers this to his other type, a green fig with red inside, smaller and sweeter. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.
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Agree with your statement that honey figs definitely have a place in ones collection. I only have one variety and the only downside I’ve noticed is that rain will wash out the flavor, but will not split, at least with Byadi. Also, they are similar to bananas in the sense that when picked plump and yellow they taste good but if you let it ripen more and pick it ugly with black spots, they are sweet and syrupy.
 
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