Chicago Hardy Fig - A Cold Hardy Fig Variety For Many Climates

Chicago Hardy (AKA Hardy Chicago fig tree) is one of the most common figs you will find planted in yards and gardens throughout the country. The Chicago Hardy fig / Hardy Chicago fig has become so popular because it is one of the early fig varieties and performs well in a wide variety of climates.

Chicago Hardy fig trees are a cold hardy fig variety for many climates as the name implies, and they are popular Zone 6 figs and Zone 7 figs because of their ability to grow back from being killed to the ground and still ripen fruits within a single season. However, they also perform well in hot, humid climates because the very tight eye and small size make them resistant to splitting and spoiling, and also make them less vulnerable to common pests like ants.

If you live in a short season climate with borderline cold winters (Zone 6/Zone 7) and hot, humid, rainy summers, this fig tree is a good fruit tree to consider growing because it will produce where other fig varieties fail.

At the end of the video, I have a Chicago Hardy fig taste test of my Chicago Hardy fig tree. The Hardy Chicago fig tree is a light berry fig with light to moderate intensity and a jammy interior.

If you have any questions about this fig, how to grow figs, growing figs in ground or growing figs in containers, any of the things I am growing in my garden, are looking for any garden tips and tricks, or have questions about gardening and organic gardening in general, please ask in the Comments below!

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Location: Southeastern NC, Brunswick County (Wilmington area)
34.1°N Latitude
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[lhy]

We have one plant that's more than 10 years old. Did not protect two years ago and died back to the ground, along with a brown turkey and celestial. they had grown back to small bushes. This is by far the most productive tree now. Celestial tastes the sweetest.

[joesantamaria]

I grow Chicago Hardy in 7a at the Delaware beaches. It survives our worst winters without significant die back, ripens into December, and propagates readily. I’ll often pick them right off the tree when passing by and have a snack. I am not a fig connoisseur, but I do enjoy growing them.

[chrismc]

The Chicago Hardy is thin skinned and quite sweet! Growing nicely in SC.
Figs are coming on later this year because of a flood in March when the plant was underwater for over 24 hours. Thought that the plant was dead, but it new shoots began appearing from the ground a few weeks later.
Pretty Hardy!

[SootheTheSoulMusic]

Thank you for sharing your great video, keep doing what you are doing, I will be coming

[arkadiyrudin]

I planted a sidling on Chicago Hardy in my central NJ home back yard 7 years old. It gown now to 10 fit high and about 20 fit wide. I get about 250 pounds of figs during month of August and half September and it still going strong. Collecting 6-8 pounds every day. It has 7 big main branches so I wonder if this should be considered one tree or 7, or one bush. I was covering it with garden warm cloth, insolation which used for attics and tarp all around for 5 years from December to May and last 2 years just with cloth and tarp.

[ahmedfadhil]

My Chicago Hardy in Tennessee doing great too🙂 thanks for the video and all the information

[johnsparling]

I believe this is the variety my parents had in FL. You want these figs to be super squishy before eating. Makes a great jam!

[pavlos]

I just received my Chicago hearty as a birthday gift, and just planted it, I hope it does well. I used to grow up eating figs in Greece from my grandfather's trees....those trees were huge (20-35ft, not sure what breed) and produced excellent figs. I can't wait to see this tree start producing and tasting the figs. I am not a picky fig person and I appreciate your honest opinion on the texture and flavor of this tree.

[dneeceann]

I have the Chicago Hardy planted in ground in West Virginia. I find that it is much more flavorful when we have a hotter, dryer summer. I've had mine for about 7 years now.

[RonaldJMacDonald]

I live in the Niagara Region of Ontario, my Chicago Hardy tree is 5 years old and about 9 feet tall. It produces a lot of fits as I have in a large container that is normally used for trees.

[WildAcreWood]

I am in Wisconsin and just got a couple of these trees. Hopefully they will do well for me when I finally plant them when it warms up a bit!
Just found your channel and subscribed. Dale is definitely a star!!🥰

[holisticheritagehomestead]

Great video. We are looking to incorporate these into our food forest project in zone 6B. Very informative video.

[giankees]

I Planted my 2 year old Chicago hardy in the ground early this year and I already picked some weighing in at 25 to 30 grams compared to last year in the container about less than half that size, not a bad tasting fig..it is what it is, I hope it gets better with age if it survives the NJ winter.

[judylawson]

So sweet & cute. I love your baby.

[josephjude]

The Chicago Hardy is great. It's the only one that grew in Northern New Jersey with fruit.

[Johnnie]

I happen to pick up a Chicago Hardy in my local grocery store earlier this year. I trans plated into pot and wasn't doing well. I them transplanted in the ground and we go a late frost and the rabbits seem to eaten it. Eventually what was left fell off and then later I want say early July I noticed it was coming back. I now have a 2 foot tree with a good number of leaves. I would like to know what do to protect it in the fall and preparing for winter? My grandfather used to have a fig tree when I was growing up and we had to bend it over and bury it covering it with cardboard, leaves and tarps every fall for the winter. I understand you don't need to do this with the Chicago Hardy but need to do some form of protection with leaves and mulch. Just would like your take on what to do. I live in Northern IL close to the Wisconsin Border.

[thetobaccoguy]

3 years ago I planted 2 Celestes and a Chicago. My Celeste's both produced very well the first and second year, while the Chicago produced I think 2 figs. This year it finally looks like its going to produce. Very slow maturing.

[thechaosgardener]

Do your Chicago Hardy still yield fruit that ripens before winter if they die to the ground without being winter protected?

[perfectworldpat]

Would love to know what figs are more cold hardy than the Chicago, please.

[sinatra]

Can you do a video on your best cold hardy/shortest ripening time trees? I'm in the UK so need early varieties