Chicago Hardy, Fig

Description

      This variety is top on the list of the most reliable varieties of fig trees to grow outdoors in cold places – some say even down to zone 5. Though temperatures below 0 degrees (USDA zone 7) will kill the tops and stems, this variety’s roots can reportedly survive temps down to -20 degrees (USDA zone 5) and still resprout the next spring. The other important feature that makes this cultivar work outdoors in places this cold is that unlike most cultivars it produces fruit on new wood. That means that it will sprout from the roots in spring and as long as the growing season is long enough it can produce abundant fruit during the growing season. The fruits on this variety are rather small, but they are of excellent flavor. A plant with 4 new stem growths can produce up to 150 purplish brown figs. Please note that root hardiness improves with age. This means you should really baby them while they are small and not yet established. Mulch very heavily in the fall for the first few years at least. Like all figs it will need to be located in the hottest most intense sunlight location you can find in order to ripen fruits by end of summer. Reported to be top hardy to USDA zone 7 and root hardy to USDA zone 5. 

Note – If you decide to try growing this fig outdoors in the general Spokane area we recommend planting it in the warmest micro-climate on your land that you can find and mulching heavily during winter.  We have successfully over-wintered these outdoors, but some winters are warmer than others and it would require a few more years of testing to know for sure if they work well outdoors here. Some of our customers have stated that, in their experience, Chicago Hardy cannot manage to ripen fruit in the general Spokane area without special protection. We would love to hear from anyone with differing experience. 

Self-fruitful – pollination is not required in order to produce fruit.