I suspect it is the one that was number 2 on the old Belleclare Nursery Fig list...

BELLECLARE NURSERY (Dipaola) Plainveiw, NY.
(copy of 2006 fig-list just before closing shop)

FIG VARIETIES

(a) INDICATES CLASS 111 COMMON (b) INDICATES CLASS 11 SAN-PEDRO
(c) INDICATES CLASS IV CAPRI FIG (d) INDiCATES CLASS 111 SMYRNA

1. PETITE NEGRI (a) (DWARF) large purple-black, dark red center (2 crops)
2. CELESTE (a) medium, purple-brown, dark red center, very sweet, sugary
3. ROYAL VINEYARD (a) large coppery-brown, pear-shaped, dark amber center (2 crops)

I don't have it and haven't seen it. Jon might have it, he has a bunch of different Celestes.

Thanks, Scott. It's an interesting little tree and is having a good time growing well. I'm looking forward to seeing how she turns out.

noss

Celeste (not Belleclare, just regular) does well here as long as it doesn't dry out. When it is good, it is very good. I imagine the DiPaola brothers sold a good one, so you should have a little charmer. I'm don't think they mentioned it in the video of a visit to their nursery by Martha Stewart.

http://www.marthastewart.com/907952/fabulous-figs

I have two Celeste trees among my collections best producer and sweet taste with aroma. needs very little care just water and fertilizer and protect from freeze. I think that variety is an Italian or the island of Malta in the Mediterranean.

Celestes are, generally, just huge weeds that don't like to be hot and dry. I love the flavor of a ripe Celeste.

Treehugger, do you mean that the Celeste is from Malta, or Italy? The variety is widely known as Malta. I don't know where the name, Celeste originated and I don't recall anyone saying anything about it. I would guess it came from the same kind of thing as why people call them sugar fig and all the other names they go by.