Pastiliere Fig Review: Flavor, Fruit Drop, Sources & Unk Pastiliere vs. Pastiliere
Pastiliere is one of my favorite fig varieties. It has a strong berry flavor, it's early, hardy, and beautiful, and it's one of the best-performing and best-tasting figs you can grow in a short growing season or a cold climate.
Hey there, fig growers! I'm Ross, the "Fig Boss," and I've dedicated my life to this amazing fruit since 2014. I've grown Pastiliere (also spelled Pastilière) from four or five different sources side by side, I've grown its look-alikes, and I've spent years answering the same questions about it: Why does it drop its figs? Does the source matter? Is it the same as Unk Pastiliere? Is Constans and its synonyms just another name for it?
This is my complete variety review. I'll cover the flavor, how early it really is, the real reason Pastiliere drops its main crop (and how to fix it), what my source trial showed, whether it's actually a dwarf, how hardy it's reported to be, and how it compares to Unk Pastiliere and Constans.
If you're new to the topic, my guides to early ripening fig varieties and why figs drop prematurely and fail to ripen are good companions to this review.
Pastiliere at a Glance
Here's the short version of everything I've learned growing this fig.
Pastiliere Flavor: Why It's One of My Favorites
When it's properly ripened on a mature tree, Pastiliere has purple, dark-red pulp and a very sweet blueberry-blackberry flavor. The flavor is off the charts.
Pastiliere tastes like blueberries and blackberries, like other fig varieties with purple-colored pulp. That's one of my favorite berry fig profiles you can find. If you love that flavor, my guide to the berry fig flavor profile lists the other varieties in the same family.
It's no wonder Pastiliere gets so much attention, and so much confusion. Certain growers I hold in high esteem put it in very high regard. Some will even tell you that if they could only grow one fig variety, it would be Pastiliere.
One important note: flavor depends on the tree being mature and the soil moisture being right. A Pastiliere tree that dries out mid-season, or a young tree still establishing itself, won't show you what this fig can do. More on that below.
Is Pastiliere an Early Fig? Pastiliere vs. Ronde de Bordeaux
Pastiliere is early and probably the tastiest fig among the very earliest varieties. Whether it's the earliest depends on how it stacks up against Ronde de Bordeaux.
Pastiliere is one of the four benchmark early figs I compare others against: Pastiliere, Ronde de Bordeaux, Celeste, and Florea. Overall, I think Pastiliere is the better variety. My only knocks on Ronde de Bordeaux are that it splits a bit more often than I'd like, it has a somewhat open eye, and it can be susceptible to fruit fly damage.
But Ronde de Bordeaux might ripen a bit earlier. And it doesn't just ripen one fig here and there. It ripens its main crop at the earliest date possible and pumps out a lot of figs right from the start of the season. Most varieties start on a particular date, trickle in, and then hit a climax point where a lot of figs ripen at once.
My take: If Pastiliere ripens even a week or 10 days after Ronde de Bordeaux, I wouldn't call it one of the very earliest figs, and I wouldn't call it a replacement.
Either way: It's still a very tasty, early-ripening fig, and the flavor is a big step up.
Why Pastiliere Drops Its Figs (and How to Stop It)
Pastiliere drops its main crop when the soil dries out. It's very unforgiving of dry soil, and that, not the source, is behind its reputation.
Many growers report Pastiliere dropping a significant amount of its main crop. That's because Pastiliere doesn't tolerate periods of dry soil. After a few years, the tree reaches maturity and this trait mostly stops being a concern.
Every Variety Reacts to Dry Soil Differently
When the soil dries out, one of three things happens, depending on the variety:
It drops its leaves. The tree sheds foliage to protect itself.
It drops its fruits. This is Pastiliere. The figs fall, and it's obvious something went wrong.
It holds its fruits, but they're damaged. If the tree gets water in time, the leaves and figs perk back up. But the figs already took damage, and they ripen poorly or taste bad later in the season.
LSU Purple is the classic example of a fig that holds on to damaged fruit. That's exactly why people think it doesn't taste good, why I think it's so underrated, and why people say it "needs three years" to taste good. It can happen with Hardy Chicago too, where the figs may not ripen properly at all. Other varieties disguise it, so a fig looks ripe when it really isn't.
The "Wait Three Years" Myth
You'll hear that Pastiliere stops dropping its figs in year three. When people say this, they don't really have the answer. It's a cop-out. Around year three, fig trees usually establish themselves, and an established tree is less sensitive to drought. Even if the soil dries out, the fruit usually still ripens to a high quality.
Most varieties with a reputation for "needing X years" before they perform are really reacting to soil moisture, either too little or too much. Too much water can lower fruit quality, too. To properly evaluate any fig variety, you need a few years, or the right amount of moisture early in the tree's life. My fig tree watering guide covers both sides.
How to Keep Pastiliere From Dropping Figs
Keep the soil consistently moist. Never let a young Pastiliere dry out, especially once figs have set.
Use an automatic irrigation timer in pots. Container soil dries out much faster than the ground. A drip line on a timer makes sure you never miss a watering.
Be patient with young trees. Once the tree matures, dry spells stop being such a problem.
Don't judge it too early. Evaluate it with proper moisture, or after a few seasons.
Does the Source of Pastiliere Matter? My Side-by-Side Trial
No. I grew about four or five sources of Pastiliere side by side. Dry soil affected every one of them the same way.
Years ago, before I realized soil moisture was controlling this problem, I had a different theory. Some growers reported that their Pastiliere never dropped figs, so I wondered whether certain sources were the deciding factor.
The most prominent source in the United States is Raintree Nursery, which probably came from the USDA. It carries the moniker Raintree, or RT, and for a lot of people it had a reputation for dropping figs until about year three. Growers who got their Pastiliere from other sources, like Pierre Baud in France, Paolo Belloni in Italy, or Siro Petracchi in Tuscany, reported less dropping than the Raintree version.
So I made it my mission. I collected about four or five sources and compared them all side by side. There was no difference between the sources. Dry periods of soil affected all of them in the same way.
To date, the highest-quality fruit I've ripened actually came from the Raintree version, the one with the worst reputation. But I don't think any of these sources are different from one another. If one source ever produces a very different tree, grows differently, or tastes different, I'll report it. In the meantime, you can get any Pastiliere, as long as it's not Unk Pastiliere, and you'll have the real deal.
Is Pastiliere a Dwarf Fig Tree?
Not in my experience. How big Pastiliere gets depends on how it's pruned.
People often describe Pastiliere as a dwarf fig variety. I haven't found that to be true. A fig tree that's pruned too much or improperly grows very quickly and can end up much larger than you wanted. Some of my Pastiliere trees don't grow a whole lot. My Raintree tree grows very fast, and that comes down to the way it's been pruned over the years.
Pierre Baud in France does describe it as a smaller fig, reaching about 2 to 3 meters (roughly 6.5 to 10 feet) and growing wider than it is tall. But any "dwarf" fig can take off. Violette de Bordeaux, Little Miss Figgy, and Fignomenal are all sold as dwarf or slower-growing varieties, and they can grow 5 to 10 feet in one season. I've seen Violette de Bordeaux grow 7 to 10 feet in a single season myself.
If you want to keep any fig small, read how much to prune a fig tree and how to keep it small.
How Cold Hardy Is Pastiliere?
Pastiliere has a reputation as a very hardy fig. I haven't seen that firsthand yet, so here's what the sources say.
I've read about Pastiliere's hardiness from many different sources, but I haven't personally seen it live up to its reputation as an extremely hardy fig. In his newest book, Pierre Baud breaks down the varieties he grows and recommends by zone, from 7a and 7b through 8a, 8b, and 9, because France has such a wide range of climates.
Pastiliere is one of only six varieties he recommends for zone 7a. USDA zone 7a has average winter lows of 0 to 5°F (about -18 to -15°C).
Remember that hardiness also depends on the tree, not just the variety. How well the wood hardens off before winter matters a lot. Learn more in the secret to cold-hardy fig trees and my list of cold-hardy fig varieties.
Pastiliere vs. Unk Pastiliere: Not the Same Fig
I get this question a lot: is Pastiliere the same as Unk Pastiliere? The answer is no. They're two completely different fig varieties that share a name.
Unk Pastiliere (Unknown Pastiliere) truthfully deserves a different name, because the figs have nothing to do with each other. Over a decade ago, when it was first introduced to the fig community, growers weren't sure what it was. Some thought it was Pastiliere, and I can see the comparison: a similar leaf pattern, and similar fruit shape, size, and color. It's easily mistaken without a trained eye.
So the moniker "Unknown," or "Unk," was attached to the Pastiliere name. It was well-meaning. Nobody gave it a hyped-up name. But naming it after a variety that already exists implied the two were similar, so people who already had Pastiliere might not feel the need to get it. That's very misleading, and ever since the name came out, it's led to confusion.
Common vs. Smyrna: The Real Difference
Pastiliere is a common fig. It's written about in literature that's even 100 years old, and many nurserymen and fig experts today will tell you the same: it doesn't require pollination.
Unk Pastiliere is a Smyrna-type fig. It needs pollination, either from the fig wasp or by hand. Without it, the figs form, but they inevitably drop. You could grow Unk Pastiliere for years and only ripen the handful of figs that somehow escape the need for pollination, which can happen with certain varieties. That's disheartening when you think you bought a common fig.
Not sure which type you're growing? My easy test for whether your fig variety requires pollination walks you through it.
When Pollinated, Unk Pastiliere Is Incredible
When Unk Pastiliere does ripen, it could be, to this day, the single best-tasting fig I've ever eaten. I have to thank Doug for that experience many years ago, when he brought pollinated figs from California to the Long Island Fig Festival. The berry flavor is simply amazing.
It's a must-grow for anyone in California with the fig wasp, and any fig expert growing figs in California will tell you the same thing. Recently, I started growing Unk Pastiliere so I can hand pollinate it after I realized I could replicate that experience in Philadelphia.
Why People Still Mix Them Up
Both drop figs. Pastiliere drops figs when the soil dries out. Unk Pastiliere drops figs when they aren't pollinated. To most growers, it looks like the same problem.
Mislabeled plant material. One seller has unknowingly been selling Unk Pastiliere material under the name Pastiliere.
A side-by-side that isn't. A distinguished grower who sells a lot of cuttings grows both varieties side by side. I believe he doesn't actually have the true Pastiliere, just multiple trees of Unk Pastiliere. I don't think there's any malicious intent, but anyone who gets cuttings of both from him and compares them will find they're identical. A friend of mine who's been growing figs as long as I have came to exactly that conclusion this way.
So yes, they're different varieties, as long as you get them from the right source.
How to Tell Pastiliere and Unk Pastiliere Apart
The easiest way to tell isn't by looking at the fruit. It's by how the tree behaves and performs.
Pollination: Pastiliere ripens figs without pollination. Unk Pastiliere won't ripen most of its figs without the fig wasp or hand pollination.
Leaves: To an untrained eye, the leaf patterns are nearly identical.
Growth: Unk Pastiliere fruits precociously, is very productive, and has tighter, more dwarf-like node spacing.
Ripe fruit: Once you see ripe figs of each, they look completely different.
Pastiliere vs. Moellada vs. Constans
Moellada isn't Pastiliere. After growing Constans for a handful of years, I believe Moellada is a synonym of Constans instead.
Somebody recently asked me to compare Moellada and Pastiliere. After comparing the fruits years ago, I thought they might be synonyms myself, and the leaf pattern matches too. But after growing Constans for a handful of years, I believe Moellada is a synonym of Constans.
These varieties fall under a wider umbrella of figs, similar to the many names for Hardy Chicago. I'm sure there are slight differences among them. The others I believe belong to this type are Aunan, Las Carreteres, La Croix Blanche, and Eaubonne.
The Figues du Monde Connection
These varieties were all introduced by Figues du Monde. With a little detective work, you'll find his passage on Las Carreteres:
"Las Carreteres is very similar to a type of fig that is very classic throughout the Southwest and very rarely tastes good. The only exception that I have found for several years is « La Croix Blanche » in Gironde, a few kilometers from Bordeaux which is really exceptional and here is the second with « Las Carreteres » which is the name of a place called Gers, large reservoir of varieties of very good quality." (Figues du Monde)
I disagree that it rarely tastes good. When they're picked early, these varieties aren't very special. They need time on the tree to develop their flavor, and they need a few years to mature before they really show their true colors.
Constans: Oddly Similar to Pastiliere, Without the Dropping
Constans is the one I can't figure out. When I first got cuttings, I thought it would be amazing to add to my Pastiliere trial and see if there was a strain that doesn't drop its figs. The leaves and fruits on the Figues du Monde website looked strikingly similar to Pastiliere, but I immediately realized Constans is different. Somehow it more closely resembled Celeste instead.
After learning more about it in 2025, I realized it's far better than I expected. The eating experience and pulp pattern are eerily similar to Celeste's, with a stronger berry flavor, and it can reach the blueberry/blackberry notes that Black Celeste can. Visually, it's stunning: dark blue skin, red pulp, and a shape that combines Black Celeste and Pastiliere.
In 2025, the fruits blew me away. The eating experience landed somewhere between Pastiliere and Black Celeste, so now I'm back to square one. It's oddly similar to eating Pastiliere without the dropping. See my Constans fig trees and Constans cuttings pages for more.
Where to Get Pastiliere
Any Pastiliere that isn't Unk Pastiliere is the real deal, so pick whichever source is available.
I carry Pastiliere from several sources, plus Unk Pastiliere for anyone ready to hand pollinate (or lucky enough to have the fig wasp), and Constans if you want that berry flavor in a fig that doesn't drop. Browse all my fig trees and fig cuttings, and read how to avoid scams, noise, and hype when buying a fig tree before you buy anywhere.
