Chicago Hardy Fig Tree

I purchased the Chicago Hardy Fig early last spring. Planted it early spring and it grew to almost 3 times its stem size and had a half dozen delicious figs late summer. I purchased this tree to withstand bad winters in North New Jersey. Winters can be near zero and bad winds. I did not cover the tree last fall because of my illness. Waiting for spring to see if if has survived 10 below and cold winds a couple of weeks ago. Hope for an early spring and lots of good fruit.

No, we don't have the dwarf size, but many growers have had success keeping this tree smaller with pruning. Unlike most other fruit trees, fig trees typically don’t require routine pruning, but you can prune them to a size that works for your space. Many fig tree growers find that keeping them between 6-8 feet tall is most manageable, especially in a container environment.

I bought two last year one for my mom and hers harvested about 30 figs last summer that she said were very tasty brought it in for the winter.. we are planting hers in the yard this spring. mine did not do so well in the harvesting department maybe got 3 figs were not eatable.. maybe this year we both brought our fig trees in for the winter I rent my home so it will stay on my porch in a large pot I can let you know how it harvests this year both have not harvested any fruit over the winter. hope that helps you have not had it long enough to advise indoor plant or not.

The tree I planted produced 3 figs in its fist year (2015) and seems to have survived the winter r well, though it's too early to see it leaf out. I'm in Zone 5, so if you are in this zone or warmer, you should be OK.

I’m from West Michigan, zone 5, and left mine outside during the 2018/19 winter. It was our tree’s first winter with us and it was a very harsh winter getting to -25 F. Our tree didn’t come to life until the end of July (thought it was dead) but it was also an unusually cold summer in 2019. Your tree should come back to life but it might not get fruit after recovering from such cold temperatures. This is our first try with a fig tree so sorry I couldn’t be more helpful but that’s what we have learned so far!

In order to tell when the fig is ripe, the stem attaching it will droop. When this happens, I check by supporting the fruit from the bottom and gently wiggling it. If it lets go on its own accord, then it's ripe and ready to be eaten. If it gives any resistance, then it's not ripe.

We have both Brown Turkey and Chicago Hardy and live in Springfield, Illinois. We cover them with three feet of straw and they do very well. They are in the ground (ground level) and die back in our area. Regrow bigger and more productive each year.

@ Anthony T., you may want to lay the pot w/tree down and gently pull it out of the pot and see if it is rootbound. If the roots are completely encircling the pot, the tree should be planted in a bigger pot to allow the root to grown out, which in turn typically facilitate growth of branches outward. If your pot is tall and skinny-this may be why your tree is growing like a "pole." Think "wider" pot for wider branches. Also, if you want branches higher than at the base, peel off any buds that appear on the trunk under where you want branches to appear. So, if you want a wider tree... top it meaning take off several inches of growth on very top and remove all buds that appear low on the trunk. You are basically shaping your tree as it grows and this is a continue process that never ends and is quite fun to do! I love pruning and shaping a tree. You can create any shape/design you want. :)

I would let them develop. I got my fig tree last year and they produced three figs. I wasn't sure if they'd be edible or not, but I let them do their thing. When they became dark and slightly soft, we picked them and ate them. They were delicious!

Thank you for your question. This is a remarkable fig variety that is quite cold-hardy and will do fine in your zone, which is 6A.