SWEET AND JUICY HONEY LIKE FRUIT WITH BEAUTIFUL FOLIAGE
FEATURES:
- Purple to black skinned fruit with a strawberry pink flesh ripen in late summer through fall
- Dark green, funky-shaped leaves turn a bright yellow in fall
- Self-pollinating variety; only one is needed to produce fruit
- Chicago Hardy has proven to be one of the cold hardiest varieties available
- In warmer climates, you can expect two harvests: one in early summer and one in fall
- Excellent in patio containers
- Hand Selected, Fresh from our Grower
Growth Facts
- Hardiness Zone: 6-10
- Mature Height: 10-15' tall
- Mature Width: 9-12' wide
- Exposure: Full Sun
- Spacing: 10-15' apart
Chicago Hardy Fig
Bower & Branch Trees and Plants
Ficus carica 'Chicago Hardy'
Regular price
1 (866) 873-3888
Monday - Thursday: 8AM - 8PM
Friday & Saturday 9AM - 4PM
SWEET AND JUICY HONEY LIKE FRUIT WITH BEAUTIFUL FOLIAGE
FEATURES:
- Purple to black skinned fruit with a strawberry pink flesh ripen in late summer through fall
- Dark green, funky-shaped leaves turn a bright yellow in fall
- Self-pollinating variety; only one is needed to produce fruit
- Chicago Hardy has proven to be one of the cold hardiest varieties available
- In warmer climates, you can expect two harvests: one in early summer and one in fall
- Excellent in patio containers
- Hand Selected, Fresh from our Grower
Growth Facts
- Hardiness Zone: 6-10
- Mature Height: 10-15' tall
- Mature Width: 9-12' wide
- Exposure: Full Sun
- Spacing: 10-15' apart
Why plant Chicago Hardy Fig?
Sweet, juicy figs. They’re so soft and perishable, you almost never see them at the grocery store. You pretty much have to grow your own tree to be able to have your fill of these decadent morsels. But don’t Fig Trees only grow in warm climates? Not anymore! With the Chicago Hardy Fig Tree, even if you live in the North, you can know the pleasure of having delectable sun-ripened figs right outside your door. Let them mature to perfection, and they’ll develop a mouth-watering honey-sweetness. With fiber and a nice assortment of vitamins and minerals in every bite, this is all-natural snacking you can feel good about, too!
Native to the Middle East, western Asia, and southern Europe, Fig Trees have a long history in western civilization. According to archaeological remains found in the Middle East, figs were most likely our first agricultural crop, farmed even before wheat and barley. There is some controversy over the true origins of the Chicago Hardy Fig, but the most popular story attributes its introduction to a grower named Fred Born. Around 1984, Born was asked to do a magazine article on overwintering Fig Trees, and a reporter tipped him off to a large Fig Tree growing on Chicago’s South Side. Born visited the tree, got permission from the owner to take a couple of cuttings, and the rest, as they say, is history.
How to use Chicago Hardy Fig in the landscape?
Your Chicago Hardy Fig Tree will turn you into a fig fanatic. There are so many delicious ways to enjoy figs! You can add them to bars and smoothies, make elegant tarts with them, punch up salads with them, even throw them on a pizza. Figs make classy hors d’oeuvres when stuffed with blue cheese, honey, and walnuts, and fig jam is a wonderful way to relive fig season when there are no more fresh fruits to satisfy your craving.
Planting Zones
Hardiness Zone: 6-10
How To Plant Chicago Hardy Fig
Grow your Chicago Hardy Fig Tree in full sun. A site in front of a south-facing wall will provide additional warmth in northern climates, giving you more fruit. Well-drained soil is a must, and your tree will be relatively drought tolerant once it is established. In very cold climates, you may choose to wrap your tree in the winter with fiberglass insulation or build a chicken wire cage around it, filling it with mulch or dry leaves. Figs also grow happily in pots and can spend the winter in an unheated garage. They do require a cold period in dormancy, so don’t put it in a heated room or greenhouse.
How To Water
Fig Trees will appreciate watering deeply, and regularly during its first few years in the ground. Irrigate weekly, and especially during long dry spells or extreme heat after it’s established.
How To Fertilize
Incorporate Elements Starter Plant food granular form into the soil when planting. If planting in spring or summer, start fertilizing late fall using Elements Starter Plant food granular form on an annual basis each late fall. Continue this for the first three years to get your plant well established.
How To Prune
If needed, pruning on your Fig should be done during winter, when it is dormant.
How Does Shipping Work?
Bower & Branch Trees, the real BIG trees, don’t fit in a box! Our big trees, sizes XL and bigger, require expert delivery and care, that means our extra-large trees are shipped on Bower & Branch trucks. We are the only ones who know how to ship our big and bigger trees and plants with tender loving care. We deliver your trees and plants directly to you. Ask Bower & Branch about planting services – we'd be happy to assist in installation.
*For Big trees and Shrubs, Size XL and bigger: Review our Seasonal Shipping Timelines and Policy here.
Your trees and plants are grown across the United States at various Bower & Branch Growers. Depending on your location, your plant orders may be shipped from various locations. Please expect orders with multiple items to be delivered over a number of days as a result. Orders made up of numerous items or selections will not arrive at your home on the same day.
Shipping Delays:
From time to time, Bower & Branch Growers may determine to delay order shipment based on various factors for plant health. Weather in your region, as well as, where your plants are grown, is always considered when shipping. Extreme weather conditions may delay some or all of your order. Bower & Branch allows our Growers to make final shipping decisions based solely to benefit your trees and plants’ health and success.
