Chicago Hardy Fig Tree

Ficus carica

Self-fertile

Sweet, rich, jammy figs. Very cold-hardy, and it regrows if winter knocks it back.

#3 container

$28each, pay at pickup

Reserve

Pick up in Pittsgrove, NJ, typically in March. Pay cash, check, Venmo or PayPal at pickup.

Chicago Hardy is one of the most cold-tolerant figs there is. Even if a very hard winter kills it back to the ground, it regrows from the roots and fruits on the new growth that same year.

The figs are medium-sized and purple-brown, with sweet, rich, strawberry-colored flesh. Eat them fresh, dry them or make jam.

In Salem County it often keeps its branches through winter, especially in a sheltered spot, but a cold winter can kill it back. Mulch 8–10 inches deep over the roots in late fall. It also grows well in a large pot moved into a garage for winter.

The branches are hardy to roughly 10°F and the roots far colder, and it ripens figs on the current year's growth, which is why it still crops after a hard winter kills the top.

How it tastes

Sweet and rich, with a honey-berry flavor and jammy, strawberry-colored flesh.

At a glance

You get: #3 container
Hardiness zones: USDA 6–10; survives zone 5 with protection (Salem County is 7)
Blooms: Flowers are hidden inside the fig
Ripens: Late summer until frost, sometimes with a small early crop in early summer
Starts bearing: Often the first or second year
Mature size: About 6–15 ft; a large shrub or small tree here
Pollination: Self-fertile
Botanical name: Ficus carica
Price: $28 each, paid at pickup
Pickup: Pittsgrove, NJ, typically in March

The fruit

Looks: Small to medium, brown-purple skin, strawberry-colored flesh
Flavor: Sweet and rich
Best for: Fresh, Drying, Jam
Keeps: Only a few days; eat, dry or preserve quickly

Pollination

Self-fertile. Common figs like Chicago Hardy need no pollinator at all.

Growing tips

Watch for: Few disease problems; the main risk is winter dieback

Plant in the sunniest, most sheltered spot you have. A south-facing wall is ideal.
Mulch the roots heavily in late fall. If a hard winter kills the top, it regrows from the roots and still fruits that year.
Water regularly while fruit is forming.
Pick when the figs soften and droop on the stem. They don't ripen further once picked.

New to planting fruit trees? Read our step-by-step planting guide: square hole, graft above the soil, native soil, and no fruit for the first two years.

Photos show the variety, not the exact plant you’ll get. Reservations are for the 2027 season, picked up at our farm in Pittsgrove, NJ, typically in March, and aren’t guaranteed until we confirm them. Questions? Ask us or call or text (856) 345‑4538.