very nice, I do like the color of those stems! It looks great.

That is one beautiful fig tree. That red leaf stem coloration is darker than what I've seen on any fig.

Dan

Your Negretta fig looks like is related to Black Ischia,as I have the black I and it came out of the ground alive this Spring again,and it manage to have healthy leaves,that are close in Shape and color to Your fig.
Also the fruits have the very red eye in and arround just like BI fruits on my tree Now.
I would be intrested that I compare my Black Ischia fruits this year to your Negretta fruits.
Size flavor interior color eye etc.
If it turns out they are indeed close related,then thereis no reson to keep the very ill Black Ischia and fight a losing Batlle.

A negretta fig starting to ripen
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Martin

This one is getting closer to getting ripe with a few others coming along.
Thats interesting that there are similarity to negretta. I do have 1 lone fig on ischia but i doubt it ripens for me this season to compare taste which i would enjoy doing.
Although plant is sick and grows so slow i keep because it takes up very little room and im more hardheaded than the plant i suppose i hope 1 year it just might do better.
So until it dies in winter storage (i highy doubt) i just keep it.
Martin
Ebay id - Dieseler6z92

Here is ripe Negretta.
This plant produce for first time ripe fig in 3 season and worth the wait.
Only tasted 1 so far but all i say is thats Amore !
I really look forward to tasting more shortly and then make decision of what pot to put this 1 in for future.
When i get a better gauge on taste as i eat more i post about it.But for very first impression its really a treat for my taste.
Pictures
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Martin
Ebay id
Dieseler6z92

Hi Martin!...no baby plant of negretta for sale??

Im sorry but no.
Perhaps limited amount of scion during dormant season, plant is slow growing for me even in its 3rd season and it never had winter damage in garage storage just slow yet its a healthy plant.
Martin

As of late the figs have not been so good maybe average to some folks. Skin also seems chewy at times. I did notice a few figs getting some sap on the eyes and have yet to eat them as there not ready.
Tree is in its 3rd season first time producing ripe figs, last season they came out too late to ripen.
Martin
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Martin those last pictures look great, I hope that drop of honey improves the taste for you. I've always admired the color of the stems since you first posted pictures

Hello dieseler,
I am the source of Italian Negretta, (is from my region).
I see with pleasure that was adopted in the States.
For me it is one of the best quality of wild fig, is rarely grown because the figs are small (it takes many to make a pound) and then almost all mature together, but as qualities are really excellent.
The plant is very dry and cold hardy.
Here there is its green twin, is the "Bianchetta (Little White) The main difference is the thinner light green peel, and the pulp is however red (but fruit is equally small).
My friend Joe in Spencerport whould be happy Because I was not sure that it is parthenocarpic (yes, it is).

Hi Sergnic,
we talked via email several times i'm the one near Chicago and at the time we talked i mention i was going to win the Negretta off ebay to person that recieved it from you so maybe this helps you remember me! Negretta skin is thin like many but a little chewy. Taste is up and down but first time tree gets ripe figs and hope they get better taste next season.It does very well in the potting soil that dries fast. The leafs on other plants will point down while Negretta handles the dryness well because i test it. I had a fewe figs from tree that were very good and skin was good also but many more not so.
But tree is still young and if figs taste like the few i had this season it will be good tree to keep and it did very well in winter storage in my attached garage it does get very cold here even in garage and no damage to tree.
Also i prefer small figs as they usually better to me than large watery bland tasting large figs and ripen more on time here in my climate.
I have not seen you post in looong time !
Thanks and Best Health
Martin

Hello Martin, from southbond of the windy city!
I remember you.
Negretta are good only if are over-ripened.
Yes is a lot of that I'm not on forum.
I've had some problem.
I've found some other variety of fig, but for you are good Negretta and Bianchetta.

Hi Sergio,
nice to see your post on the fig forum.Negretta is a very good fig for my zone,got some ripe figs this year,of very good quality.Valle Negra that I also got from you is really a great fig, is now my best dark fig.Thank you again
for sending me this great fig.Ciao,
Giuseppe

Hello Joe ...ppe,
I think you refer to Vallecalda (that so was by me named from the village where it come from). (I refer to black-bluish long breba, with some longitudinal white stripes) I never sent you Valle Negra, but if you have yet distributed with this name OK Valle Negra!
Is I think (after my extensive investigations) a Tuscanian fig named "Piombinese" or "San Piero" in warm-hot climate ripens twoo time, the first for breba (main), and may be in second for forniti (not many important).
If it is this, is described on "Pomona Italiana": the main Italian graphic work for the Pomology (1817-1839) made by Giorgio Gallesio.
See: http://www.pomonaitaliana.it/pomona/fico_san_piero.htm

Sergio,
Valle Negra is not a "San Piero"the fig was send to me by you,and I have send cuttings to some members of the fig forum.Valle Negra is a great fig, one of the best dark figs.Onother of your figs that I got from you is a white
fig ,a heavy producer of delicious roundish figs,one of the best fig for my area,it is either a Binella or Gallo.
Ciao,Giuseppe

Ma Madorn now you fellas make me think about another dark type fig? Good thing i dont care for the white ones !
I know I know .
Best Health
Martin

Joe,
many varieties are named "San Piero".
As reference I take a supposed SURE font, ...being over the "today" words.
Plese see, and read the descripion (I'm sorry in Italian of '800) of the "Pomona Italiana" that point the situation done from one of MAIN italian Botanists (overall for POMOLOGY) of all times, in its main opera in pomology matter, ('''in begin of 1800'''), (NOT ONLY FOR FIG), and by me yet done in reference: http://www.pomonaitaliana.it/pomona/fico_san_piero.htm
I know very well that they are many varieties so named. If you like may conserve Valle Negra, and in this case is a new name, (if there is no double nomination), or may be Piombinese, or Valle Negra-sinonimous Piombinese.
In past time some person asked me if Negretta is equivalent to Valle Negra and I answered "not" but I do not supposed that my Vallecalda is become Valle Negra...., well Valle Negra is equally sweet, and more ...significant for its really dark color.
Bye Bye

Sergio,
I believe that Valle Calda (Piombinese) a large fig and
Valle Negra a medium fig are not the same fig cultivar.Ciao,
Giuseppe(Joe)

Can you believe it has been 8 years since started thread .

Anyways if anyone one still around what are you now growing as for me no longer grow negretta for various reasons.

Martin

Why not?

Over the years have downsized as it is basically just me eating the figs and give some to my next door neighbor.

Martin

Martin, what varieties have survived the years with you? What are you growing now?

You were always someone whose voice I listened to over at F4F, but I was not growing figs when you made this post here!

I do not have a 'Negretta' but do grow a 'Jason's Unknown Black Ischia' which Herman felt was Negrertta. The pics I have seen of Negretta do look like my fig. It has seemed to be a very good fig for me, but last spring I put it in ground and over the winter it died back to ground level despite protection. It is regrowing but will not have any figs that ripen this year.

Hardy Chicago and Black Madeira were grown in yard before 2010 and still around except the UcDavis Madeira this spring was set back full year and almost lost it and acquired another

Uc Davis Madeira though small for now. Have a few French dark types .

The negretta came from person who received his cuttings from Sergio oversea's who first brought this fig out if memory serves me correct. Very attractive foliage that displays a reddish to the early buds and leaf stems .

They are small dark figs with pretty interior of reddish/pink/yellow which the plant produces large crop for its size i recall the skin can be chewy and not thin as preferred. Good all round fig but palate like others more.

Some dated pictures - click to enlarge.

Martin

Thanks Martin. Looks a lot like what I have.

That's a shame Negretta looks to be a great package, both decorative and good tasting. If you kept Black Madeira around until now, does that mean it manages to ripen for you every season?

Kvetchlambkin its a good fig and puts out large crop but as mentioned earlier had to downsize

Black Madeira yes ripens many every season because i fig shuffle plants in early spring i do pull off some knowing they will not ripen but this one because last season heavy late fall rains came right before storage which rotted roots and lost some plants as well.

Madeira had to be cut back then cut more until saw what seemed like good wood then finally it showed a bud in summer and then a few more so it may be ok next season.

Did buy a spare just in case a very small plant UcDavis Madeira from person whose daughter went to school there an obtained that particular scion and tag from them to replace a 3 year old madeira that was airlayered from my original because it also died.

Martin

That is figgy dedication right there! I’m glad that amount of fig shuffling pays off when it comes to such a flavored fig. And that you managed to get a replacement for your original. That’s one variety I’d be upset to lose too. I had the Black Madeira written off early when I got into figs but maybe I’ll reconsider it in the future if it’s one of the few you’ve kept in your downsize.

Do you think your very old Negretta source still sells Negretta cuttings? Lol, there’s been a couple of other Negretta names or Negretta-like figs going around now. The only source I’d feel safe with is Herman atm

Kvetchlambkin not sure as it has been a long time. Yes there are some that are not negretta as is the case with Negretta unknown that floated around as i mentioned in thread may have been F4fun that " Unknown Negretta" should not even have the word Negretta because it was nothing like it from pictures shown back then .

As for Black Madeira the original survived barely it is from 2008.

The one that died was a spare airlayered each time off a new spare selecting cleanest looking branch probably 5 times over or more lost track.

Clean and growing very well without mottling of leaves, deformed or spotting until its demise when it entered its 4th season and would have done another airlayer this season. But without professional test there really is no way of knowing if it was fmv free only what i observed with eyes.

Martin

Here are some photos of my "Jason's Unknown Black Ischia", introduced years ago as a fig someone(Jason) found that some thought might be Black Ischia, but it did not match. Later others including Vasile(Herman) felt it matched Negretta due to the fruit size and flavor, season, leaf shape and the striking red color of buds and pink leaf stems. I do not have a true Negretta to compare directly.

If there was a chance it was fmv then it would’ve come from fig bud mites and we can’t let them experience cold enough winters without also killing the trees. All the cuttings I’ve been receiving are cleaned and dipped in sulfur to hopefully reduce any fig bud mites and chances of fmv. I hope your replacement scion is healthy. It might be worth treating for the mites since it seems much more widespread than it used to be after years of fig trades

I read up on alot of the Negretta and Unknown Negretta posts in the old f4f. The story was that the original owner of the Unknown Negretta had passed so the introducer wanted to keep The name as is. The owner before passing had called it Piccola Negretta. I’m finally seeing “Piccola” being used with it which is much clearer and better for newbs like me.

Eboone the Negretta looks so unique in alot of its characteristics and Jason’s UBI is very likely the same. I think I just have a hard time being exactly sure that some sellers are labeling their figs correctly for sale. I’ve seen old posts on the forums, people asking if it is okay to switch the name of their received fig with a synonym for reasons like easier spelling :( I think the principle of naming not being as important as tastiness is a great one, but not for growers like me who are pretty tight on space.

A fig that is unknown has lost it's ability to ever faithfully be given a name of a known fig. People should not do that, in my opinion, it is not honest. I will never call my fig Negretta, I can't prove that it is. It is 'Jason's Unknown' or 'Jason's Unknown Black Ischia'. That is good enough for me, but I don't feel like I need a Negretta now, 'cause they are close enough for me that I will enjoy this one. Other people who are more interested in making money or having a 'status' fig are making a mistake and then spreading the misinformation.

Hi Eboone,

you can scroll up to pictures i re posted of Negretta and click on the first one it will enlarge it the fruit in yours looks pretty similar but leaves do not.

Come to think of it that fruit picture you show does looks pretty similar as well to the ucdavis ischia i had .

I keep looking back at that leaf picture its unusual .

Martin

The leaves do look different. Much fuller and rounder as a whole in Martin’s photos. I remember an old thread where Herman believed that Jason’s UBI was more Ischia than UCD’s version until he fruited it himself and said it was just like Negretta.

I agree eboone, I prefer if figs names aren’t used interchangeably if they originally start off unknown. I like it better when the fig family/lump they belong to is identified and made clear which other varieties they’re most similar to. Like all the different Mt.Etna names out there or the Palermo Red relatives. There are some that stand out just a bit more than others and we can get the specific one we want without worry. Unless the words “Black, Red, Italian, Sicilian, Dark” are involved in the names lol