Images Depict Mature Plants
Chicago Hardy Fig Tree
Ficus carica 'Chicago Hardy'
Chicago Hardy Fig Trees are hardy to temperatures as low as -10 degrees, and they can also be grown in containers if you would rather bring them inside for the winter. Delicious fruit is ready to eat right off the tree in late summer.
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Chicago Hardy Fig Trees for Sale Online
Chicago Hardy Fig Trees are a perfect choice for anyone who wants to grow their own feed but lives in colder growing zones. These trees are tolerant of chilly weather down to -10 degrees! In zones 7 or cooler they will still benefit from some good winterization to protect against any extreme frosts, but overall each year they will bounce back with large yields of golfball-sized mahogany fruits. These are self-pollinating fruit trees, but planting a few within 20 or 30 feet of each other will help create even bigger fruit yields. These fruits can be eaten directly off the tree, in salads, or you can make delicious homemade fig jams or jellies.
Fig trees are also great choices for containers. If you live in an apartment and want to grow your own fruit at home, a Chicago Hardy Fig tree is a great choice.
| Hardiness Zone: | 5-11 |
|---|---|
| Mature Height: | 10 to 15 Feet |
| Mature width: | 10 to 15 Feet |
| Classification: | Broad leaved deciduous tree, spring flowering |
| Sunlight: | Full sun to part shade |
| Habit: | Spreading, umbrella shaped canopy |
| Foliage: | Dark green |
| Fruit Color: | Purple, brown |
| Pruning Season: | Late winter |
| Soil Condition: | Any well drained soil |
| Water Requirement: | Water well until established |
| Uses: | One of the best fig trees for the north |
How to Care for Chicago Hardy Fig Tree
Before you plant your new Chicago Hardy Fig Tree, make sure to read the recommended care instructions to keep this plant healthy and thriving.
How Do I Plant A Fig Tree?
Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball of your new tree, and the same depth as the roots themselves. Make sure that you do not make the hole too deep to start, as burying a young tree too deep when planting is a frequent cause for transplanting failure. Position the tree how you want it to sit (ideally so that the original soil from the planters pot is still visible at the surface), then backfill underneath the roots with a 50/50 mix of local soil and compost material. Amending the soil will also make sure the roots have the space to establish themselves. Once the hole has been filled, gently pack in the soil around the tree so it is supported, and give the area a deep thorough watering, and water the tree weekly until established.
How much fertilizer does a fig tree require?
Trees such as Chicago Hardy Fig Tree grow best if they are fertilized lightly in the spring once frost has passed with a well-balanced, extended-release, fertilizer such as Espoma Tree-tone. Chicago Hardy Fig Tree again 6 to 8 weeks later to encourage denser foliage or faster growth of young trees. We recommend Bio-Tone fertilizer when planting.
What kind of mulch is best for a young tree?
We recommend that you use a 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch around the base of the tree, using organic wood shavings such as ground cypress or ground hardwoods. This kind of organic mulch will help prevent resource-stealing weeds from growing nearby, and it will help regulate the temperature of the soil around the root system. Make sure to push the mulch at least 1 to 2 inches away from the base of the young tree trunk. In colder grow zones (5 - 7), winterizing your fig tree will include adding additional mulch over the base of the tree, which should be removed back to its original depth once spring weather returns).
Do I need to prune my Chicago Hardy Fig Tree?
Pruning can help a tree focus its energy towards growth and towards developing fruit, so it is a very good idea to establish a good pruning routine. For fig trees, make sure you do so during its dormant season in late winter. Focus on removing dead branches, small sucker branches near the base, and then removing about 1/4 of the main branches in order to create air flow between branches and let sunlight in to lower branches. This will help your tree focus on creating bigger figs overall. In the first few years, we recommend pruning away a few of the smallest fruits at the very beginning of the growing season (very early summer) so that the remaining fruits grow bigger.
