* Malta Purple Red fig tree

The Malta Purple Red fig tree seems unaffected by the pressence of the Gillette fig tree !!!

Malta Purple Red Originated from Gozo Malta

Here are pictures of our Malta Purple Red fig tree

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The Gillette tree was started from the top half of a 1 year old Gillette tree on approximately April 1st 2010.

I am not sure when the Malta Red Purple tree was started from a tree clipping of the parent tree although based upon it's size and growth I am guessing that it was started in May 2010.

When I took these pictures the Gillette was 23 and 1/4 inches high.

When I took these pictures the Malta Purple Red was 15 and 3/4 inches high.

The above pictures were taken September 28th 2010 when the Gillette tree was about 5 months and 27 days old



Fig trees are really huge bushes and just like people each variety has it's strength and it's vulnerabilities.

Fig tree bushes like some other plants (when they are old enough) their nature allows us to naturally clone them with tree branch cuttings, cutting half the tree and growing that (if the tree is still young enough). Or from the roots.

Many people clone fig trees bushes without even realizing that they are cloning them from their parent.

That is why if you get a Gillette fig tree it and it's fruit looks so much like all the other Gillette fig trees and their fruit.

Although I feel that Gillette fig tree bushes are amongst the best examples of of evolution because of it's ability to change leaf shape

Hi alanmercieca,

Please note that young fig plants are notorious
to mis-behave and (sometimes) produce inconsistent
leaves (and fruit). May take 5 years for figs to mature.

Case in point: A while back (2006),I bought some Hollier
fig cuttings. First fruit was (surprise) brown/purple
skinned. I re-tagged it as Hollier_NOT.

This year it produced white(green) skinned fruit as
should be, go FIGure!

Here are recent photos of our Gillette fig tree planted in the ground. We planted it recently.

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Photos of our "Malta Purple Red" fig tree that was planted recently

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This year the "Malta Purple Red" some of the leaves are still a similar shape as last year although there appears to be a second leaf shape showing up on that tree.

The Gillette that we have so far the leaves look little like the leaves I have seen online for the supposed Gillette. Nor does the fruit I have seen online showing up as Gillette fruit look much like the description of the real Gillette fruit as described in the book "Cultivation and Diseases of Fruit Trees in the Maltese Islands". Am I wrong to think that the real Saint John (named Gillette after a nursery that used to sell the fig tree) is supposed to have both a strong brown and green presence when ripe? After all it does say greenish brown and not brownish green

There may be 2 or 3 different fig trees same name yet different spelling

Gilette (One L) supposedly a pure Caprifig
Gillette aka? Gillete (Two L) is supposedly a Bifere with a much better first crop than a second

The again there is lots of false classification too.

interesting do you know how the fruit of the gillete is discribed ?

brown , purple , black , green, yellow ?

The Gillette figs are green with a yellow tone, and with a whitish tan flesh The more ripe it gets the more yellow it gets, and it has large seeds.

On my tree, which I am not sure if it's a true Gillette, yet. The flesh ranges from sweet, to very sweet, depending on how ripe, when it's very sweet then it has a honey like texture, and a spiciness too it, a spiciness that to me sort of reminds me of cinnamon, when it's not at it's sweetest it's still good, and sweet, just not as impressive.