Celeste Fig
Regular price $22.95 Sale price $16.95Reliable Southern Favorite with Honey-Sweet Flavor and Cold Tolerance
The Celeste Fig (Ficus carica 'Celeste') is a Southern classic, beloved for its cold-hardiness, dependable productivity, and small, sweet, honey-flavored fruit. Also known as the Sugar Fig, this variety produces light brown to purplish-bronze skin with rosy-pink flesh that is rich, smooth, and perfect for fresh eating, drying, or preserves.
Celeste is a self-fertile, early-fruiting variety that performs beautifully in hot, humid climates and mild winters, making it ideal for growers across Zones 7–10. It’s also more cold-tolerant than many other fig varieties and resists splitting in wet conditions—perfect for southeastern gardens.
Compact and easy to manage, Celeste grows to about 8–15 feet tall, making it suitable for containers or in-ground. It typically produces a main summer crop, but in warmer zones, you may also get a light breba crop in early summer.
Whether you're building your backyard orchard or looking for your first fig, Celeste is a time-tested favorite that delivers big flavor and little fuss.
Quick Facts
| Scientific Name | Ficus carica ‘Chicago Hardy’ |
|---|---|
| Common Names | Chicago Hardy Fig, Bensonhurst Purple Fig |
| Plant Type | Perennial Deciduous Tree or Shrub |
| Life Cycle | Perennial |
| Food Forest Layer | Small Tree / Shrub Layer |
| Mature Size | 10-15 ft tall (can be kept smaller with pruning) |
| Light | Full Sun |
| Water Needs | Moderate; drought-tolerant once established |
| Harvest Season | Summer through Fall |
| Time to Fruit or Harvest | 1-2 years from planting |
| Self-Fertile | Yes |
| Growth Rate | Fast |
| Native Region | Mediterranean origin; adapted for U.S. climates |
| Florida Native | No |
| Zones | USDA Zones 6-10 |
| Propagation Method | Cutting |
| Pot Size | 1-Gallon Plantable Biodegradable Coconut Coir Pot |
| Seasonal Characteristics | Deciduous; drops leaves in winter; frost-hardy |
| Italian Honey | Yellow Long Neck | Violette de Bordeaux | Olympian | Royal Vineyard | Brown Turkey | Little Ruby | Celeste | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ficus carica 'Italian Honey' | Ficus carica 'Yellow Long Neck' | Ficus carica 'Violette de Bordeaux' | Ficus carica 'Olympian' | Ficus carica 'Royal Vineyard' | Ficus carica 'Brown Turkey' | Ficus carica 'Little Ruby' | Ficus carica 'Celeste' |
| Common Names | Italian Honey, Lattarulla, White Marseilles | Yellow Long Neck Fig | Violette de Bordeaux, Negronne Fig | Olympian Fig | Royal Vineyard Fig | Brown Turkey Fig | Little Ruby Fig | Celeste Fig, Sugar Fig |
| Family | Moraceae | Moraceae | Moraceae | Moraceae | Moraceae | Moraceae | Moraceae | Moraceae |
| Origin | Italy (Mediterranean) | Mediterranean cultivar | France | Washington State, USA | Mediterranean | Mediterranean | Cultivated variety | Southeastern U.S. heirloom |
| Plant Type | Deciduous Fruiting Tree | Deciduous Fruiting Tree | Deciduous Fruiting Tree | Deciduous Fruiting Tree | Deciduous Fruiting Tree | Deciduous Fruiting Tree | Dwarf Deciduous Fruiting Tree | Deciduous Fruiting Tree |
| Life Cycle | Perennial | Perennial | Perennial | Perennial | Perennial | Perennial | Perennial | Perennial |
| Food Forest Layer | Low Tree / Shrub Layer | Low Tree / Shrub Layer | Shrub / Low Tree Layer | Shrub / Low Tree Layer | Shrub / Low Tree Layer | Low Tree / Shrub Layer | Shrub / Low Tree Layer | Shrub / Low Tree Layer |
| Mature Size | 10–15 ft (smaller with pruning) | 8–15 ft | 6–10 ft (smaller with pruning) | 8–12 ft (prunable) | 8–12 ft | 10–20 ft (prunable) | 3–6 ft (dwarf) | 8–15 ft (prunable) |
| Light | Full Sun | Full Sun | Full Sun | Full Sun | Full Sun | Full Sun | Full Sun | Full Sun |
| Water Needs | Moderate; drought-tolerant | Moderate; well-draining soil | Moderate; well-draining soil | Moderate; well-draining soil | Moderate; well-draining soil | Moderate; drought-tolerant | Moderate; well-draining soil | Moderate; well-draining soil |
| Harvest Season | Early + Late Summer | Mid to Late Summer | Early + Late Summer | Mid to Late Summer | Mid to Late Summer | Early + Late Summer | Summer to Fall | Summer (main); early breba possible |
| Time to Fruit | 1–2 years | 1–2 years | 1–2 years | 1–2 years | 1–2 years | 1–2 years | 1–2 years | 1–2 years |
| Self-Fertile | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Growth Rate | Fast | Fast | Moderate to Fast | Fast | Moderate to Fast | Fast | Fast | Fast |
| Zones | 7–10 | 7–10 | 7–10 | 6–10 | 7–10 | 7–10 | 7–10 | 7–10 |
| Florida Native | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Propagation | Cuttings | Cuttings | Cuttings | Cuttings | Cuttings | Cuttings | Cuttings | Cuttings |
| Seasonal Characteristics | Deciduous; fruits on new wood | Deciduous; fruits on new wood | Deciduous; fruits on new wood | Deciduous; cold-hardy to 0°F | Deciduous; fruits on new wood | Deciduous; fruits on new wood | Deciduous; fruits on new wood | Deciduous; winter dormant |
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