Ficus carica ‘Celeste’

Ficus carica, referred to as common fig, is a deciduous shrub (to 10-15? tall) or small tree. It is noted for its spreading habit, attractive foliage and edible fruit. Old trees with smooth silver gray bark (sometime gnarled with age) are ornamentally attractive. Large, palmate, hairy, 3-5 lobed leaves (to 10″ long) are rough dark green above and smooth light green beneath. Non-showy greenish flowers form in spring inside hollow receptacles near the branch growing tips. The fruit (edible fig) develops within each receptacle. The main fruit crop ripens in late summer on new wood. In some areas, a lesser crop may appear in spring on new wood. Species plants as well as most fig cultivars are parthenocarpic (fruits develop without cross pollination).

‘Celeste’ is a small, brown to purple fig that is the most cold hardy of all fig varieties. The tree is large, vigorous and very productive. ‘Celeste’ usually ripens in mid to late June, well before most other fig varieties. ‘Celeste’ fruit has a tightly closed eye which inhibits the entry of the dried fruit beetle and rain that may cause fruit souring. ‘Celeste’ has excellent fresh dessert quality with a rich sweet flavor. It is an excellent processing fig, either frozen or processed as fig preserves. Do not prune mature Celeste trees heavily because this can reduce the crop. Although relatively cold hardy, ‘Celeste’ usually does not produce abundant fruit in years where winter injury is sustained.