Marseilles

When Jefferson said the Marseilles fig was "incomparably superior to any fig I have ever seen," he implicitly ranked it with his great favorites of the fruit world. The small (two inches in diameter), turban-shaped fruit has a slightly ribbed skin, which turns yellowish-white when ripe. The white pulp is rich and tapioca sweet. The Marseilles, often named Early White in reference to its bearing season (ripe as early as July 12 for Jefferson), is the hardiest and most productive of all fig varieties today at Monticello