White Marseilles Fig

There’s something almost magical about biting into a perfectly ripe White Marseilles fig on a warm summer morning. The pale green skin yields under gentle pressure, revealing flesh so translucent it seems to glow from within, with a honey-sweet flavor that’s somehow both delicate and intensely satisfying. This particular cultivar, known scientifically as Ficus carica ‘White Marseilles’, has become one of my most cherished trees—and trust me, that’s saying something when you grow exotic fruits for a living.

You might hear this beauty called by several names depending on where you are. Some folks call it White Genoa, others know it as Lattarula (particularly among Italian-American growers), and in parts of Europe, you’ll hear it referred to as Blanche or White Naples.

The French sometimes call it “Figue Blanche,” staying true to its Mediterranean heritage. Whatever name you use, we’re talking about the same remarkable cultivar that’s been gracing gardens and orchards for centuries.

Why White Marseilles Captured My Heart (and My Orchard Space)

When I first started exploring fig cultivation, I’ll be honest—I was skeptical about lighter-skinned varieties. Everything I’d read suggested darker figs were superior in flavor, more productive, and generally the smart choice for serious growers. Then a fellow farmer handed me a White Marseilles fig fresh from her tree, and my entire perspective shifted in a single bite.

The flavor profile is unlike anything else in the fig world. While classic varieties like Brown Turkey offer bold, jammy sweetness, White Marseilles delivers something more nuanced—think delicate honey notes with hints of berry and a subtle nuttiness. It’s the difference between a brass band and a string quartet; both are wonderful, but one offers refinement that really stands out in certain contexts.

Michael Gorelov

What really sold me, though, was the productivity. This cultivar is what we call a "breba crop" producer, meaning it fruits twice per season. The first crop appears in early summer on last year's wood, while the main crop arrives in late summer and early fall on new growth. Having two distinct harvests completely changed my market strategy. When other growers are flooding farmers' markets with summer fruits, I'm offering early-season figs. Then, when the glut hits, I've already built customer loyalty and can command premium prices.

According to data from university extension services, well-maintained White Marseilles trees can produce anywhere from 50 to 100 pounds of fruit annually once mature. In my experience, that’s conservative if you’re diligent about care. My oldest specimen regularly exceeds 120 pounds in favorable years, and she’s not even in an ideal microclimate.

Cultivation Secrets I Wish Someone Had Told Me Earlier

Let’s get into the practical stuff, because growing White Marseilles successfully requires understanding some quirks that make this cultivar both rewarding and occasionally frustrating.

Climate and Hardiness Considerations

White Marseilles performs best in USDA hardiness zones 7-10, though I’ve seen dedicated growers succeed in zone 6 with winter protection. The trees tolerate cold better than many fig varieties—down to about 10°F with established wood—but here’s the catch: those precious breba figs develop on wood from the previous season. If you get winter dieback, you lose your early crop entirely.

I learned this the hard way during an unexpectedly harsh winter three seasons back. Lost all my breba wood on five trees, which meant no June harvest and some very disappointed restaurant clients. Now I mulch heavily around the root zone in late fall and wrap young wood with burlap in borderline cold periods. Is it extra work? Absolutely. But those early figs sell for nearly double the price of main crop fruits, making the effort worthwhile.

The Mediterranean origins of this variety mean it craves heat and sunshine. In my orchard, the White Marseilles trees positioned in full sun with southern exposure consistently outperform those in partial shade by a significant margin—we’re talking 30-40% more fruit production. If you’re working with limited space, choose the sunniest spot available.

Soil and Water Management

Here’s where White Marseilles proves surprisingly forgiving. While they prefer well-drained, slightly alkaline soil (pH 6.0-6.5), I’ve successfully grown them in everything from sandy loam to heavier clay-based soils with proper amendments. The key is drainage—figs absolutely hate wet feet.

Water management with White Marseilles is more art than science. During active growth and fruit development, these trees appreciate consistent moisture—I aim for about 1-2 inches per week through irrigation and rainfall combined. But here’s a trick that’s improved my fruit quality dramatically: I reduce watering significantly once the main crop begins ripening. This stress concentrates sugars and intensifies flavor. Think of it like making balsamic reduction—you’re removing water to concentrate the good stuff.

The Harvest: Timing, Techniques, and Hard-Won Wisdom

Harvesting White Marseilles figs requires a different eye than darker varieties. You can’t rely on color change as your primary ripeness indicator since these fruits remain pale greenish-yellow even when perfectly ripe. Instead, I’ve developed a multi-sensory approach:

My Five-Point Ripeness Check:

1. The Neck Test – Look where the fruit connects to the stem; ripe figs develop a slight bend or “neck”
2. Gentle Pressure – A ripe fig yields slightly to gentle thumb pressure without feeling mushy
3. The Droop – Mature fruits hang downward rather than standing perpendicular to the branch
4. Surface Feel – Skin becomes slightly less firm and takes on a subtle sheen
5. The Sniff Test – Ripe figs emit a sweet, honey-like fragrance near the stem end

I check my trees daily during peak season because White Marseilles ripens quickly. A fruit that’s “almost there” in the morning can be overripe and splitting by evening, especially in hot weather. Wildlife knows this too—birds, squirrels, and even raccoons have developed an uncanny ability to identify ripe figs seconds before I do.

Losses to wildlife used to frustrate me enormously until I made peace with sharing. I now net about 30% of my trees during peak ripeness and consider the rest a contribution to ecosystem health. Call it the farmer’s tax. The birds and squirrels were here first, after all, and watching a cardinal enjoy a fig brings its own kind of satisfaction.

The breba crop typically ripens over a concentrated 2-3 week period in early to mid-June in my location, while the main crop extends from late August through October. This extended harvest window is commercially valuable—I’m supplying fresh figs when most other growers are between crops or completely finished for the season.

Culinary Applications and Market Positioning

White Marseilles figs occupy a unique culinary niche that’s helped me build strong relationships with high-end chefs and specialty food buyers. The pale flesh and delicate flavor make these fruits ideal for applications where you want fig character without overwhelming other ingredients.

I’ve watched chefs use them in ways darker figs simply can’t match. Their translucent quality when sliced thin makes stunning presentations—one pastry chef I work with creates a tart where paper-thin White Marseilles slices overlap like rose petals, creating something that’s as much visual art as dessert. Try that with a Black Mission fig and you just get dark blobs.

The subtle flavor profile works beautifully in savory applications too. I’ve seen them paired with prosciutto, incorporated into salads with mild cheeses like fresh chèvre or burrata, and used in sauces for delicate fish. One memorable dish featured roasted White Marseilles with sea bass, fennel, and a light citrus reduction—the fig’s gentle sweetness balanced the dish without dominating it.

Popular culinary uses I’ve observed:

• Fresh eating (the most common and arguably the best way to enjoy them)
• Preserves and conserves with subtle spicing
• Cheese boards featuring mild, creamy cheeses
• Light salads with arugula, nuts, and vinaigrettes
• Dessert components in panna cotta, ice cream, and tarts
• Dried figs with exceptional color retention

Drying White Marseilles has become a significant value-added product for my operation. Unlike darker varieties that turn brownish when dried, these maintain a beautiful golden-tan color that looks almost luminous. I’ve had customers tell me they initially thought my dried figs were apricots because of the color. They command about 20% higher prices than standard dried figs at farmers’ markets.

Problem-Solving: Challenges You’ll Face and How to Overcome Them

Let’s talk about the issues nobody mentions in the glossy catalog descriptions. White Marseilles, for all its wonderful qualities, comes with challenges that’ll test your patience and problem-solving skills.

The Splitting Problem

This variety is prone to fruit splitting, especially late in the season when autumn rains arrive just as fruits are ripening. Those beautiful pale skins are relatively thin, and when the tree takes up water quickly after dry periods, the expanding flesh splits the skin. Suddenly your premium fruit looks damaged, and market value plummets.

My solution involves careful water management and selective covering. I monitor weather forecasts obsessively during late-season ripening and will sometimes cover individual branches with temporary rain shields if significant storms are predicted. Yes, it’s labor-intensive. Yes, it’s probably slightly crazy. But it’s also the difference between $8/pound premium fruit and composting split figs.

Pest and Disease Pressure

Fig rust, a fungal issue that causes leaves to yellow and drop prematurely, hits White Marseilles harder than some darker varieties in my experience. The pale foliage seems more susceptible to showing stress symptoms. I combat this through strategic pruning to improve air circulation, avoiding overhead watering, and applying copper-based fungicides only when absolutely necessary—I try to keep inputs minimal.

Fruit flies and vinegar flies can be nightmares during humid weather. These tiny pests lay eggs in ripening fruit, leading to larvae inside figs that makes them unmarketable. I’ve experimented with various approaches and found that the most effective strategy combines:

1. Harvesting slightly earlier (just as fruits reach full size but before complete ripeness)
2. Allowing them to finish ripening indoors in controlled conditions
3. Using baited traps positioned around the orchard perimeter
4. Removing any fallen or damaged fruit daily to eliminate breeding sites
5. Timing irrigation to avoid excess humidity around ripening fruits

The Economics: Is White Marseilles Worth the Investment?

Let’s talk money, because ultimately sustainable farming requires economic viability. A grafted White Marseilles tree typically costs $25-50 from a reputable nursery. In my climate, you’ll get your first meaningful harvest in year three, with full production starting around year five.

Compare that investment timeline to annual vegetable crops, and figs look pretty attractive. Once established, these trees produce reliably for decades with relatively modest inputs. My cost per pound of production breaks down roughly like this:

With an average production of 80-100 pounds per tree and wholesale prices ranging from $4-6 per pound (retail $6-10), the economics work beautifully. Even accounting for unmarketable fruit, losses, and the occasional poor year, established trees generate solid returns.

The breba crop particularly excels economically because early-season scarcity drives premium pricing. I regularly sell June figs for $8-10 per pound at farmers’ markets, compared to $5-6 for the same quality fruit in September when everyone has figs available.

Why White Marseilles Deserves a Place in Your Orchard

After growing dozens of exotic and heirloom fruit varieties, White Marseilles remains one of my most valued trees. It’s not the highest-yielding cultivar, the most cold-hardy, or the most disease-resistant. But it offers something rare: a combination of exceptional flavor, beautiful appearance, commercial viability, and the sheer pleasure of working with a cultivar that’s been perfected over centuries.

Anna Gorelova

Think of it this way—you could plant a high-yielding commercial variety that produces enormous crops of decent fruit, or you could grow something with character and distinction that commands premium prices and builds loyal customers. I've chosen the latter path, and White Marseilles exemplifies why that strategy works.

There’s also something deeply satisfying about maintaining heritage varieties. Every White Marseilles tree represents continuity with farmers and gardeners stretching back hundreds of years. When I’m pruning these trees or harvesting their fruit, I’m participating in a tradition that predates modern agriculture, connecting with people who valued flavor and quality over pure productivity.

Would I recommend White Marseilles to beginning fig growers? Honestly, it depends. If you’re in a marginal climate or unwilling to provide attentive care, probably not. But if you appreciate nuanced flavors, enjoy the challenge of perfecting your craft, and want to grow something that’ll make people stop mid-bite and say “wow, what is this?”—then absolutely yes. Just be prepared to become the person everyone asks about figs, because once you start growing White Marseilles successfully, word spreads fast.

The pale green fruits hanging from my trees each summer aren’t just a crop—they’re a conversation starter, an education in patience, and proof that sometimes the most rewarding things require a little extra effort. And honestly? That first bite of a perfectly ripe White Marseilles fig makes every bit of that effort worthwhile.