Chicago Hardy fig

Sun

Full sun; give it the warmest sheltered position available in cool climates, ideally against a sunny wall.

Water

Water deeply during establishment and dry spells, especially while fruit is swelling. Keep container compost evenly moist but never waterlogged.

Soil

Well-drained loam, sandy soil or improved clay; tolerates moderately alkaline soil. Avoid sites that stay wet in winter.

Height

10-15 ft (3-4.6 m), often smaller where winter dieback occurs

Spread

8-12 ft (2.4-3.7 m)

Flowers

Tiny flowers are hidden inside green developing figs in spring and summer; there is no showy external blossom.

Foliage

Large, rough-textured green leaves, usually with three to five deep lobes; yellowing before leaf fall.

Growth

Moderate to fast in warm conditions

Care needed

Medium

• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen
• Edible

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   7 ft (2 m)

2. After 1 year

   7 ft (2.1 m)

3. After 2 years

   7 ft (2.2 m)

4. After 3 years

   8 ft (2.3 m)

5. After 5 years

   8 ft (2.6 m)

About 16 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Mildly toxic: may upset a stomach

Invasive in

the US and Australia

Growth rate

Fast

• Water newly planted trees regularly through their first two growing seasons; water established trees during prolonged dry weather.
• Apply a modest balanced feed in spring only if growth is weak; excess nitrogen encourages leaves at the expense of fruit.
• Mulch the root area, keeping mulch clear of the trunk; use a deeper insulating layer in cold climates.
• In colder parts of Canada and the northern United States, grow in a large container and overwinter dormant plants in a cool, frost-protected space.
• Protect ripening fruit with securely fitted, wildlife-safe mesh, checking it regularly.

Pruning. In late winter or early spring, after the worst cold, remove dead wood and thin crowded stems; wait for buds to swell if frost damage is unclear. Retain healthy shoots where possible and avoid routine hard pruning, which can delay ripening.

Pick figs in late summer and autumn when they hang downward, feel soft and come away with a gentle lift; ripe skins are brownish-purple, and picked figs do not ripen properly afterward. Expect the first worthwhile crop about 2-3 years after planting a rooted young plant, sometimes longer in cool climates or after winter dieback. Wear gloves if sap irritates your skin.

Late winter

Inspect the dormant framework and prune out clearly dead, damaged or crowded stems.

Spring

Plant after severe frost has passed; refresh mulch and feed lightly if needed.

Late spring

Check for delayed frost damage and gradually acclimatise overwintered container plants to outdoor conditions.

Summer

Water consistently during dry weather and check containers frequently.

Late summer

Protect developing fruit from birds and begin checking daily for soft, ripe figs.

Autumn

Continue harvesting while fruit ripens; remove fallen or spoiled fruit.

Late autumn

After leaf fall, insulate roots in colder gardens and move vulnerable container plants into cool winter shelter.

• Train as a fan against a sunny wall to capture warmth and make picking easier.
• Use as a small specimen tree beside a patio, allowing room for its broad leaves and keeping fallen fruit off busy paths.
• Grow in a large container in a sunny courtyard where winter shelter is available.
• Include in an edible garden with herbs and low-growing crops outside its immediate root area.

Garden styles it suits: Mediterranean, Modern courtyard, Potager (kitchen garden), Edible landscape, Backyard orchard and Architectural minimal.

Plant it with: Lavender, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage and Oregano.

Wildlife: Ripe figs attract birds, wasps and other fruit-feeding animals. This cultivar does not need a fig wasp or another fig tree to produce fruit.

• Winter dieback: choose a sheltered site, mulch the roots and protect young stems; use container culture where winters are too cold.
• Fruit stays hard or fails to ripen: maximise sun and warmth, avoid heavy nitrogen feeding and recognise that a short growing season may prevent a crop.
• Fruit splitting or souring: avoid sharp swings between drought and heavy watering, pick promptly and remove damaged fruit.
• Scale insects: inspect stems and leaf undersides, remove small infestations by hand and use a locally approved horticultural oil according to its label.

Ripe fruit is edible for people. The milky sap in leaves, stems and unripe fruit can irritate skin and eyes; skin contact followed by sunlight can cause severe blistering. Leaves and sap can irritate the mouth and digestive tract of cats and dogs if chewed; keep them away from horses as well, since safety information for horses is limited.

Where it spreads. The species Ficus carica can escape cultivation and is invasive in parts of California and South Australia, particularly near waterways. Seed spread depends on pollination by the fig wasp; Chicago Hardy can produce edible fruit without pollination, but that does not guarantee sterile fruit where the wasp occurs. Check local guidance before planting near natural areas.

• Brown Turkey fig (Ficus carica 'Brown Turkey')

  Leaves and fruit overlap greatly with Chicago Hardy, and the name Brown Turkey is applied inconsistently in commerce. A reliable nursery label is more useful than appearance alone.

• Brunswick fig (Ficus carica 'Brunswick')

  Typically bears larger, greener to bronze-purple fruit with a more pronounced neck, but growing conditions affect appearance and identification from leaves alone is unreliable.

• Paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera)

  Its sometimes-lobed leaves can resemble fig leaves, but they have toothed edges and often pale, hairy undersides; its fruit is a small orange-red ball rather than a fig.

Ficus is the Latin name for fig, carica refers to Caria in southwestern Asia Minor, and Chicago Hardy refers to the cultivar's association with cold-climate growing around Chicago.

Propagation. Take hardwood cuttings from healthy dormant shoots in late winter, or layer a low branch and separate it once rooted. Vegetative propagation preserves the cultivar; seedlings do not come true to type.

Accepted botanical name

Ficus carica

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states, Pacific Basin and Puerto Rico.

Native range

Afghanistan, Cyprus, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Kriti, Lebanon-Syria, North Caucasus, Pakistan, Palestine, Transcaucasus and Turkmenistan.

Measured

Average height 540 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.