Hardy Fig List

[Kelby]

I just realized I never posted this to a thread here, but it has been available in my signature. This is a list of 'hardy' figs to Zone 6 with all the normal caveats of plant health, care, and siting. I do not yet have much experience with most of these, so it is largely the result of research across various forums and websites.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing

If you look along the bottom of the spreadsheet, there are tabs for other windows with lots of good info (at least I think so). I encourage you to do more research on any variety you're interested in and not take what's written as gospel, but it should be helpful in directing the search for new figs. I particularly recommend searching for any posts by herman2 on gardenweb or f4f, he has been trialling hardy figs in zone 6 NJ for many years.

It's not really intended to be an absolute list, but I hope it is fairly comprehensive. As always if you have any questions, comments, or tips I'm all ears!

Have a great day!

[Kelby]

Variety	Light/Dark	Ripening (A- Early, B - Mid, C - Late)	Flavor Category	Flavor Description/Rating	Good Breba Crop (container or protected)	Potential to Fruit First Year after Dieback to the Ground	Comments
Absheron Yellow	Light						European variety, may not be available in North America.
Adriatic JH	Light	C	Adriatic Berry	Hint of strawberry, not too sweet. 8/10.	High quality but few	Yes	Tolerates rain and humidity. Excellent, unique flavor. Can fruit 1st year after ground dieback. Not actually Adriatic!
Atreano	Light	B	Honey		Yes, high quality and productive		Easy to grow with excellent flavor, large fruit, adaptable to rain when ripening. Needs to be picked when fully ripe. May be marginal in zone 6 per some reports. High quality breba crop if protected that ripens up through main crop. Imported by Hanc Mathies, one of 3 varieties he kept.
Battaglia Green	Light	C	Adriatic Berry?	Strawberry tasting.			Originally grown at Folly Castle, VA, possibly traces back Thomas Jefferson. Named after Ms. Battaglia of Paradise Nursery (now closed) in VA. Needs a long season, may not fully ripen.
Bari	Dark	B	Dark Berry			Yes	Found by f4f member in Willow Grove, PA; mother plant is in Bari, Italy. Extremely vigorous and productive. Similar to MBvs, seems to be a Mt Etna type. Can fruit from ground kill. Continues to set fruit all the way through hard frost, requires pinching and thinning. Seems to be very hardy.
Beall	Dark
Black Bethlehem	Dark	A	Dark Berry	Sweet, jammy berry. 8.5/10	No?	Yes	Found in Zone 6 Bethlehem, PA in a Greek neighborhood where it grows unprotected. Early with very sweet figs. Introduced by Bass. Mother plant died back to 12-24" during polar vortex but still fruited. Very reliable in hard winters.
Black Cartagena	Dark						European variety, may not be available in North America.
Brooklyn White	Light	B/C	Sugar		Yes, high quality and productive		Found in Brooklyn by Bass. Excellent quality breba crop if protected/container grown, though skin may be tough in younger plants.
Bornholm / Nexoe	Dark		Sugar?		Yes		Originates from Denmark, reported to be extremely cold hardy. No cold damage to -4°F (only in 95/96 at -22°C). Also known as Nexoe and Precose de Dalmatie. Breba crop size/quality?
Brunswick/Magnolia	Dark	B	Sugar	Very sweet.	Yes (more info needed)		Very large fig with sweet flavor. Easily sours, best in areas with dry summers.
Bryant Dark	Dark		Dark Berry		No?		Found in NYC, similar to Hardy Chicago but more tangy flavor. Seems to resist splitting well.
Capelas	Light		?	very sweet			Large, fair quality fruit. Slow growing.
Celeste / Creech	Dark	A	Sugar	Very sweet.			Common older variety, especially in the South. Can have problem's with fruit drop.
Col de Dame Gris	Dark		?			Yes	Hardiest and easiest to grow CDD in colder climates. Late ripening.
Danny's Delight	Dark		?	"sweet mulberry juice mixed with sweet Pomegranate juice"
Dark Portuguese	Dark	B	Dark Berry		No?	Yes?	Very similar to Hardy Chicago and Sal's, some say it has a slight acid component to the flavor others say it has a less figgy taste. Mt. Etna Type. Introduced by Bass. Very reliable in hard winters.
Desert King	Light	A			Yes, breba only		Breba crop only, will need winter protection to ensure breba fruits are not injured.
Eastern Brown Turkey	Dark	B	Sugar		Fair		Probably the most commonly available variety, though plants are often not true to the name. Easy to grow and reliable though not very flavorful.
English Brown Turkey	Dark	B/C	Sugar		Yes		Good/great quality breba and main crop. Many variants out there including: Sweet George, Bayernfeige Violetta, and LaRadeks EBT. Breba buds tend to be quite hardy.
Excel	Light		?	Very sweet yellow fig.			A Condit hybrid, resists splitting. Seems to be hardy. Similar to Kadota. Flavor may be better in warmer climates.
Figo Preto	Dark	B	Exotic Berry				May be marginal in Zone 6.
Florea	Dark	A	?	Quite rich and sweet.	Yes	Yes	Originally from Serbia. Zone 5 hardy. Early to ripen, can fruit 1st year after ground dieback. May be the same as Mitchurinska10 from Bulgaria, which is reported to handle -20C.
Galbun	Light		?	Sweet, light green fig.			Seems to be hardy.
Gillete	Light		?
Gino's Black	Dark	B	Dark Berry		No	Yes	Can be near as good as Violette de Bordeaux (VdB) according to some, others say it is similar to Hardy Chicago but less prone to souring. Mt Etna type. Can fruit 1st year after ground dieback.
Green Ischia	Light	B/C	Sugar		None to Few		Hardy, dependable, and tasty, like strawberry jam. May be hardier than Hardy Chicago and Celeste. Green when ripe so it may fool birds. Possibly the same as Verte.
Hanc's English Brown Turkey	Dark	A	Sugar		Yes		Possibly a variant of Southern Brown Turkey as per Herman2 and Robert Harper, found by Hanc Mathies at Miller Nursery. Reportedly extremely hard to propagate but very hardy, potentially to Zone 4b with protection. One on the 3 figs Hanc Mathies kept in his collection.
Hardy Chicago (Mongibello)	Dark	B	Dark Berry		No	Yes	Common, often considered underrated. Excellent beginner fig as it is available and very good quality. Mt Etna type. Can fruit 1st year after ground dieback.
Hunt	Light		?	not exceptional, figgy fig flavor			Not exceptional but handles rain well. May not be hardy.

[okiedokie1]

Thank you twice..

[Kelby]

Improved Celeste	Dark	A	Sugar			Yes	Very hardy and early to ripen. Can fruit 1st year after dying to ground. Note there are several varieties that are improved celeste types (ie. O'rourke), but this refers to one simply called Improved Celeste.
Kathleen's Black	Dark				None to few?		Usually takes several years to start producing, fairly susceptible to dieback when young. Very good flavor. Introduced by Gene Hosey.
Keddie	Dark	A/B	?	Great flavor.			Good cold tolerance, found in Pittsburgh, PA. Fruits mid-August through frost.
LaRadek's English Brown Turkey	Dark	A	Sugar		Yes		Zone 5 hardy. Breba is good quality and seems to be extremely hardy, reportedly to -10 to -15 F. Main crop is also good but ripens late.
Lattarula/Italian Honey etc	Light	A	Honey		Yes		Hardy, heavy producer of sweet figs. Fairly common. Many synonyms for this variety exist and many varieties may be called Lattarula. Breba crop can be as good as main crop.
Longue d'Aout	Dark		?		Yes	Yes	Large fruit, quite hardy. Good quality breba crop ripens in July, very large and long. Main crop fruit is large, but not as large as breba. Dislikes heavy, wet soil.
LSU Gold	Light	B	Honey				Large and very sweet. Rain tolerant.
Lyndhurst White	Light		?	Melon with little crunch. 8.5/10.			Original tree in Lyndhurst, NJ. Crops large, excellent flavored figs. Very hardy. May be the same as Lattarolla.
Malta Black	Dark	A	?	Like a juicy, jammy strawberry. 9/10.		Yes	Thick skin and small eye help prevent splitting, good for humid areas. A workhorse fig. Very early. Can fruit 1st year after ground dieback.
Marseilles Black VS (MvsB or MBVS)	Dark	A	Dark berry	Good berry flavor and right amount of sweetness. 9/10.	Few if any	Yes	Very hardy, fast growing, and productive. Resists rain well. Resists FMV. Can fruit 1st year after ground dieback. Has survived (dieback extent unknown) -18 F.
Marseilles Monticello
Nero 600M	Dark	B	?	Similar to VdB. Sweet, berry taste. 7.5/10.	Yes (more info needed)	Yes	Very cold tolerant, fruit quality excellent even with rain and humidity if properly ripened and tree is mature. Highly recommended. Some may be the same as Valle Negra and/or Valle Calda.
Niagara Black	Dark		?		Yes		Likely the same as Longue d'auot
Northland/Nordland Bergfeige	Dark	A	?	Very sweet, pure honey. Honey melon flavor, 9/10	Yes		Resists splitting when wet. May be the same as LdA.
O'rourke	Dark	B	Sugar				Marginal in Zone 6.
Olympian	Dark		?		Yes (more info needed)		Found growing in Olympia, WA. New variety, reportedly hardy. Breba is good.
Ronde de Bordeaux (RdB)	Dark	A	Bordeaux Berry	9.5/10, very berry with little tartness	No	Yes	Very cold tolerant and early, fruit quality not always good when rainy and cool but when good it is among the best. Highly recommended. Can fruit 1st year after ground dieback. No/very few breba.
Saint Anthony	Light		Honey			Yes	May be the same as Lattarula, but sources differ. Can fruit 1st year after ground dieback.
Sal's Corleone / Aldo	Dark	B	Sugar	Not overly sweet, with a hint of berry and melon. 8/10.			Juicy but not overly sweet. Some state it is hard to root. Totally different variety than Sal's EL / GS. Prone to splitting, best flavor with lots of heat.
Sal's GS/EL	Dark	B	Dark Berry	Very jammy, little figgy, and just sweet enough. 8/10	No	Yes	Very similar to Hardy Chicago, may be somewhat hardier. Mt Etna type. Can fruit 1st year after ground dieback.
Salem Dark	Dark		?	Very sweet flavor			Vigorous, productive and cold hardy.
Sodus Black Sicilian	Dark		?	like a peach	Yes		Found in Sodus, NY by f4f member johnnyq. Seems to be extremely hardy. Good breba.
Stella/Dalmatie	Light	C	Adriatic Berry		Yes (more info needed)	Yes	Good flavor.
Susser George / Sweet George	Dark	C	Sugar		Yes		Likely a variant of English Brown Turkey. May not fully ripen main crop in cooler climates but is quite hardy. Good, hardy breba.
Takoma Violet	Dark		Dark Berry		Yes	Yes	Excellent quality Mt Etna Type. Can fruit 1st year after ground dieback. Introduced by Gene Hosey who found it in Takoma Park, MD. May trace back to Germany. Unusual for a Mt Etna Type, the breba crop is good.
Zingarella / Gypsy	Dark	A?	?	superior taste			Somewhat cold hardy, often dies to the ground. Unique gray color. Good rain resistance. May be better in a container.

[sapihia]

Awesome list, just what I've been looking for! Thank you!!

[okiedokie1]

Thank you..

[sppsp]

Kelby, this is a great reference. Thanks for posting it.

[joann1536]

Thanks, Kelby, this is great!

[Vincent_15]

Thanks Kelby for the great info

Canada zone 5

[xenil]

Thanks for the list, I hope this will expand soon if we will have new cold hardy varieties.

[Nick Costanza]

great list

[figgi11]

What is considered early? My Celeste (A) ripen at the end of August through September.

[Kelby]

It really depends on your climate and cultural practices (pot vs ground, shuffle, greenhouse). I would say early is late July/August, mid is Sept/early October, and late is late October and beyond.

[CliffH]

Yes, climate has a whole lot to do with it. Celeste in our area starts ripening in early June, and last year even in late May.

[Timbotide]

Great List Kelby. Thanks for posting it.

[TorontoJoe]

Do you want unknowns on this list? If so I have a few awesome cold weather figs to add...

[Kelby]

Unless they are widely distributed and proven, no. Just too many out there!

[TorontoJoe]

Fair enough... I was specifically thinking of the figs being offered but Aaron (NJFigFarm)

He certainly distributes a lot and all cold hardy to zone 6

[IrishFigMadness]

excellent work

[Newbie2figs]

Kirby

Your file is so helpful for us newbies, Thank you for making it available to us. I have question that'
Out of the topic, I saw some persimmons in your file and I had never tasted them before, I bought 2 trees 2 years ago , 1 astringent , 1 non astringent. Really loved the non astringent and was wondering how I could get some cutting to graft new varieties to my tree.
Mario
Victoria TX
zone 9a

[Kelby]

There are quite a few members here who also have persimmons. I already have too many scion requests for this year, but in the future I should be able to help you.

[ramv]

Texas has a rare fruit growers affiliate.(Affiliated to CRFG). I am sure you can get all the scions there you want for free.

https://crfg.org/home/chapters/texas/

[Newbie2figs]

Thank you both for your reponse, I will look into the website you provide.

Mario
Victoria TX
Zone 9a

[ChazC]

Great list. Thank you

[Timbotide]

Kelby
How do Hardy Chicago and Hardy Hartford compare as far as cold hardiness and look of the fruit produced?

[Kelby]

I haven't grown Hardy Hartford, so I can't really comment. If I recall correctly, Hardy Hartford is a Mt Etna type, so they should be similar?

[Shawnee Prophet]

Great list. Thank you

[Source]

Bumping this great List... Thanks for posting!

[Garlic_Mike]

Atreano and O'Rourke produce first year from complete dieback, like LdA, Sal's G and RdB. Zone 6b.

[roland]

What where the Growing Degree Days GDD for youre figs?

https://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-h...pen-in-my-area

[Tonytone]

I’ve referred to this list many times. Thanks Kelby for posting it.

[SalNick]

Thanks Kelby. 👍

[cvarcher]

Excellent and helpful list! Thankyou Kelby. But where is green Michurinska?? Could Red Lebanese BV and Sangue Dolce and Genovese Nero af /I258 make this list I wonder. I would like to add Hardy New Jersey to that list. It was found in ground at an abandon house in central NJ. It was 12 ft tall and makes a yellow colored fig with strawberry colored inside. Should know how it tastes very shortly as it has 2 huge brebas .

[MASS FIGS]

SD is interesting in particular to me because it was a favorite of someone in MA who most likely kept at least of some of their massive collection in pots and in grounded (speculation but fits my mediocre logic lol). But I haven't read anything about his culture/location for SD. I have two small trees (small in part because they were the hardest/longest to root by far of any type I have tried), and one is on the definite in-ground list for next year. However, I will be protecting it so I (HOPEFULLY) will not be trialing for fruit from die back. I am thinking about doing the same with one of my Gen Neros, but I admit that I concerned about how late it ripens especially when heavily pruned back as I will do for protection

[cvarcher]

YEah I take that back on GN. Its a late ripener even here in 7a Long Island. And its not that cold tolerant either. Ive heard IZbat an Naj is cold tolerant and possibly Hative dargenuil .

[eboone]

I have had Salem White, another Bass introduction, in ground for 3 winters, and it is finally proving itself with great growth and earlier production. A honey type fig. Will try to report back on time of ripening - the past two years it did not start producing as early as this one.

Niagara Black, on the other hand, has been late to put on figs after die back for the past two years and I may not see ripe figs for the second year in a row.