Malta Black

Malta Black is a widely known fig originally sold by the now-closed Belleclare Nursery on Long Island, New York, as their stock variety #35 ("BC35"). Belleclare believed it originated from the island of Malta and considered it a "grandparent" of Celeste, though this specific claim about its origin and lineage is genuinely disputed among longtime collectors, who note there is no confirmed documentation tracing exactly how the tree reached Belleclare or whether today's circulating "Malta Black" is even the same tree Belleclare originally sold under that number. Chris DiPaola, one of Belleclare's two founders, reportedly kept Malta Black as one of the few trees he held onto personally when he retired, specifically because he liked it so much. In leaf appearance, fruiting season, productivity, and fruit characteristics, it is generally grouped within the broader "Mt. Etna type" fig family, though some growers report better flavor from it than from typical Mt. Etna-type figs, describing a more pronounced raspberry note. It is hardy, healthy, and early-ripening (around 70 days, typically August), with medium-sized fruit and excellent sweet berry flavor, and shows a meaningful degree of cold tolerance.