Fig Database®: Carr Fire

Carr Fire Information

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Possible Synonyms / AKA:

Carr, David Burke gave it the designation THF-0135, Carr Fig #1
Introduced By:
Lee Ann (Sacred Origin)
Origin:
California
Main Flavor Group:
Dark Berry - 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.
Family Group:
Black Mission
Fig Type:
Common - Self fertile and will grow anywhere conditions are suitable
Cold Hardy:
N/A
Container Variety:
N/A
Easy Rooting:
Excellent
Main Season:
any
Availability:
Average
Breba Crop:
Yes
Seed Crunch:
mild
Eye:
small
Skin Toughness:
N/A
Fruit Size:
Medium
Rain Resistance:
Excellent
Tree Vigor:
Vigorous
External Links:

Description

The Carr Fire fig was discovered by Lee Ann, also known as SacredOrigin, in 2018 in California following the devastating Carr Fire, which burned over 200,000 acres and destroyed more than 1,000 homes. This resilient fig tree, which was partially burned and heavily pruned by firefighters, managed to survive and thrive, becoming a symbol of strength and recovery.

The Carr Fire fig produces medium-sized figs with a smooth, thin skin and a unique cherry-berry flavor complemented by rich fig undertones. The skin melts in the mouth, adding complexity to the fig's overall taste. This variety is suitable for making jam, eating fresh, or drying for later consumption. The tree yields two crops per year, a Breba crop and a Main crop , ensuring a steady supply of delicious figs.

The mother tree of the Carr Fire fig is believed to be over a century old, possibly originating around the time of the construction of the Whiskeytown Dam and Powerhouse or even earlier, possibly introduced by miners in the area. The tree's remarkable survival and continued productivity have made it a popular choice among fig enthusiasts.

Lee Ann (Sacred Origin), 2-11-2019

My dear friend ( 83 yrs old ) who loves my passion for figs made a drive out to a wild very old fig tree that she has harvested from for more than 40 years. She said at the time she first discovered it and took figs it was huge. Recently she estimated that the tree might be 40 plus feet wide on the canopy. She went out yesterday to see if it had survived the Carr Fire. She brought back cuttings. I plan to make this available in the near future and of course upon getting some fruit to test and try, will report on that as well. I would image that this tree started as a seedling around the time of construction of Whiskeytown Dam and Powerhouse in the early part of the Century or by miners.

This is what she wrote up.

"Upon moving to Redding in 1973, many trips were made to Whiskeytown Lake. The hot summer days brought out the lush green of the area. There was a huge very old fig tree on the banks of the lake and bore large green figs with a pink center. Over the next 45 years, many trips were made to the lake to pick the delicious figs from the old tree. They make excellent dried fruit, jams and just plain eating. In 2018, the Carr fire started about a mile from the fig tree. It was a large wildfire that burned in Shasta and Trinity Counties in California It burned 229,651 acres and 1077 homes. Eight people lost their lives. The road around the lake was recently opened. A trip to the fig tree found the fire had burned to within about 20' of the old tree. The fire fighters had lopped many branches off the tree, but left several branches that we were able to salvage, in hopes of saving the offspring of this precious old tree. We call it the Carr Fig, after the fire that almost killed it."- Velda Crotty