Bountiful Figs

Dominick's Fig (unknown Italian cultivar of fig tree) (It's fig fruit falls under the flavor sub-groups 'Bordeaux Berry', 'Complex Berry')

'Dominick' - 'Dominick's' father brought the 'Dominick' fig tree with him from Sicily in 1933, 'Dominick' had taken care of his tree from 1933 until he passed away, having taken care of the mother tree for over 70 years.

'Dominick' gave 'Jim Cooper' a 'root sucker' the day that they met, at that point 'Dominick' had already taken care of that tree for 60 years, from that 'root sucker' came a tree that 'Jim' has used to root cuttings into plants, 'Jim' had given those new plants away for about 15 years.

A love of figs that lead to 'Jim meeting 'Dominick' started in Brooklyn about 40 years before 2013! Some of his Italian friends had grandfathers who grew figs in their back yard. and he then immediately decided that some day he'd have a house and grow figs too.

Who is 'Dominick' you may ask, well an Italian gardener who lived in Northvale NJ (Bergen County, Northern NJ), 'Jim' met 'Dominick' when 'Jim' asked him about his strikingly beautiful fig tree, it took 'Jim' many attempts to find someone home, he passed by the home daily until one day he had seen an old man double digging his tomato patch and so 'Jim' stopped his car, They had a conversation 'Jim' said "Excuse me sir, that is the most incredible tree I have ever seen". 'Dominick' said "you want to come in"?, 'Jim' said "I'd love to". Through a respect, and an appreciation of a fig tree 'Dominick' and 'Jim' shared a unique and loving friendship for 15 years or so!

When 'Jim' noticed that 'Dominick' passed away he went under 'Dominick's tree', 'Jim' promised 'Dominick' that he would give as many people as he can a cutting of 'Dominick's' tree to help keep the tree alive, and it may just be around forever, if so then 'Dominick's' memory would live on forever as well. 'Dominick's' original tree is gone, yet the actual cultivar lives on, saved from extinction by 'Jim', by 'Jim's tree', and by 'Jim's story!

'Jim' 'the original source of this cultivar being distributed', he is a Key Grip which is a type of filming technician, he has given this cultivar of fig away to 100's of people over the years, over 25 of those people are in film production, everyone loves his story.

On June 24th 2013 'Jim Cooper' for the first time ever started to offer cuttings from his 'Dominick' fig tree. The cuttings that he has sent out to people that time amounted to over 75 packages mailed out to over 75 members of the former Figs4fun forum.

Then on January 1st 2015 'Jim' once again offered cuttings from his 'Dominick' fig tree, on that same forum.

On February 5th 2015 someone online mentioned that the 'Dominick' fig cultivar was already being sold in Europe.

'Dominick' is an Italian unknown cultivar of fig, it might be some Sicilian cultivar 'unknown or known', yet 'Jim' did not have the opportunity to verify what tree the original tree sucker originated from, or where exactly the original 'original' tree was located.

It produces a small to medium sized dark purple fig with red interior that is delicious to eat! It has a very strong berry taste which tastes like a Mount Etna type of fig, it's fruit has a seed crunch to it, sometimes way more crunchy than others! The figs in which it produces are shaped like that of a Mount Etna type of fig.

This cultivar of fig tree can be grown as large as an elm tree, it grows fast like a weed, the leaf pattern is very much like that of a Mount Etna type of fig, it has it's first fig crop fast (second season for me), it's cold hardy, fun to watch grow, is very healthy, and it sure appears to be free of all viruses. This fig cultivar also is slow at going dormant, most likely the last one to go dormant in anyone's fig collection, and it has been said that it waits until the last minute possible to go dormant yet they should go dormant in time no matter the situation.

'Jim's' 'Dominick' fig tree dies back to the ground most years, yet most years it comes back strong, with ripe figs following around September/October, some years a little earlier. The fig tree is located in a part of new Jersey that can go down to hardiness zone 6b, yet the area is rated as hardiness zone 7a. 'Jim's' tree has never been given any winter protection.

Cuttings from this fig tree cultivar usually root easily, fast and with strength, a prolific rooter.

I got our 'Dominick's fig' fig tree at the 'Southeastern fig gig', which took place on 'Saturday August 23rd 2014', Mike aka newnandawg was nice enough to give me a starter tree of it.

I often call the cultivar 'Dominick's' out of respect for the original owner of the fig tree. In 2015 our fig tree grew fast like a weed. It's certainly a big tree now that it's November 2020.






















Here is our 'Dominick' fig tree, photos were taken the same day that I got it at Gloria Ramaley's 'Southeastern fig gig', 'Saturday August, 23rd 2014', each photo was taken at a different angle.

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Here is our 'Dominick' fig tree, the photo was taken Tuesday March, 17th, 2015

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On Saturday April 11th, 2015 I wrote
"This fig tree cultivar sure is a fast grower, actually so fast that I could not wait any longer to take new photos. Here they are, each photo was taken at a different angle."

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Here is our 'Dominick' fig tree, the photo was taken Thursday April, 30th 2015

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Here is Jim's famous story, which was first shared online on June 24th 2013! He's shared this story with all the people who he's shared cuttings with.

I have been growing figs for over 20 years here in Northern NJ Zone 7a.

My love of figs started in Brooklyn some 40 years ago. Some of my Italian friends had grandfathers who grew figs in their back yard. Having never tasted a fresh fig before, I one day ate one in Nicky Red's back yard. An instant revelation occurred. I said some day I will have a house and grow figs too....Cut forward 20 years and I am riding around Northvale NJ (Bergen County, Northern NJ) and I pass a garden with a fig tree the size of an elm tree. I pass this house almost daily hoping to see someone in the back yard. One day I see an old man double digging his tomato patch and I stop the car. "Excuse me sir, that is the most incredible tree I have ever seen". He said "you want to come in"?, "I'd love to" I said and Dominick and we shared a unique and loving friendship for the next 15 years or so.

Dominick had been taking care of his tree since 1933 when his father brought it with him from Italy. Of course I asked him what type of figs they were and he said "purple". He gave me a cutting that first day and I have been making cuttings into plants and giving them away for 15 years. There are about 25 or so people currently growing "Dominick Figs" and it makes me feel so good knowing that now that Dominick is gone forever, his figs have continued. His beautiful tree was razed for a lawn and I can no longer pass the house and garden where I spent so much time with Dominick over the years. Every year we would dig it up and bury it.

I went under his tree after I found out that he had passed and promised him that I would give as many people as I can a cutting of his tree to carry on.
I grow Dominicks trees in the ground and in Bill's containers and are as tasty and hardy as any other fig variety I grow.....