Pel de Bou originates from Monserrat Pons' collection in Spain. You can read about it in great detail in his book, "Fig Trees of the Balearic Islands."
Here's a translation from his book:
"The fig tree is located in Son Mut Nou, Llucmajor, and the mother fig tree is cultivated in Míner, by Josep Sacarès i Mulet.
The tree has a medium development, very dense foliage, with short but very vigorous annual growth, and a deformed crown, easily distinguished by the color of the crop that ripens on the fig tree, where the reddening of the lower half of the figs stands out. It also has a double crop, although the first of the figs is rather sparse, and the second of the figs is more prolific, with a medium harvest period and high productivity.
The figs are pear-shaped, with a rather diffuse earthy color; they are distinguished by their variable peduncle that can become quite elongated. They are symmetrical in shape and variable in size, and have a considerable number of paired fruits and some abnormal formations. The epidermis is thin, but very rough in texture, with a high degree of hairiness, visible to the naked eye. The flesh is brown, not very sweet, and has a soft consistency. The achenes are numerous and small. They are very difficult to abscise from the stem and are moderately easy to peel. They are very susceptible to transport and souring, resistant to rain and ostiole opening. The figs ripen quickly, but are difficult to detach from the fig tree.
The leaves are mostly trilobed, with a few five-lobed and some single-lobed leaves, with serrated, slightly indented margins, noticeable hairiness on the underside, and an acute petiole angle.
The PEL DE BOU variety is so named because of the very pronounced hairiness on the figs, similar to that of oxhide."
Pel de Bou was one of the most impressive new fig varieties in 2024. Originally, I decided to give it a go after hearing about its short hang time. It may be the only fig in his book mentioned as ripening quickly. Not the same terminology, but as it turns out, he's absolutely spot on. They ripen very quickly after turning color and swelling in the fig's final ripening stage, a trait extremely important for humid areas.
Combine that with its high fruit quality, it's an instant keeper in humid areas. It also produces breba, ripens relatively early, with a sugar berry flavor profile and jammy texture.
The question to determine now is, how hardy is Pel de Bou? Will it survive in my zone 7A USDA growing zone reliably? Can it produce breba reliably? Time will tell as I've planted this variety during the spring of 2025.
