Bi-39 is an Italian heirloom fig with deep roots in Calabria, transported to America by an Italian family in the mid-1950s and cultivated in Chicago ever since. It produces medium-sized purple-black fruit with striking crimson flesh and a flavor profile that ranges from mildly to very sweet, with distinct berry notes and subtle acidity. This self-fertile common fig thrives in full sun and grows rapidly, even in the rocky, sandy, impoverished soils where its parent tree flourished on mountainous slopes.
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This Calabrese heirloom carries over seven decades of American cultivation history, having been preserved through three generations of an Italian family in Chicago. Its purple-black skin gives way to deep crimson flesh with a complex flavor that balances dark berry sweetness against bright acidity. The Mt Etna class foliage and vigorous growth habit make it an exceptional producer that handles challenging conditions with ease.
As a self-fertile common fig, Bi-39 produces fruit suitable for fresh eating, where its dark berry flavor with subtle complexity is best appreciated. The balance of sweetness and acidity makes it equally well-suited to cooking and preserving, whether dried, made into jam, or used in traditional Italian desserts and savory preparations.
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From mildly to very sweet, with distinct berry notes complemented by a touch of acidity. They often feature subtle complexity, with additional layers of flavor that enhance their rich and balanced profile.
Bi-39 is a mid-season variety; harvest figs when they feel soft to gentle pressure and the skin has fully darkened to purple-black. Pick ripe fruit regularly to encourage continued production throughout the season.
Prune in late winter to maintain shape and encourage branching. The Mt Etna class foliage and vigorous growth habit respond well to structural pruning that directs energy toward fruit production rather than excessive vegetative growth.
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“Bi-39 arrived in America in the mid-1950s, transported from Taverna and Sorbo San Brasile in Calabria, Italy by an Italian family who settled in Chicago. The original tree had been cultivated for generations on harsh mountainous slopes where sandy, rocky soils would challenge most plants. Rather than struggling in such conditions, it thrived, and when the family brought this fig to Illinois, it adapted so successfully that it has been grown there continuously for over seven decades. The variety belongs to the Mt Etna class of figs, a group long valued in southern Italian agriculture for their vigor and reliability.”