Cold-Hardy Fig Varieties for Zone 5 & 6
Figs are borderline plants north of zone 7, but they carry a trick most fruit trees don't: many varieties fruit on NEW wood. Even if a hard winter kills the top to the ground, the roots survive, the plant regrows, and the main (late-summer) crop still ripens the same year. That's what makes fig growing possible in zone 5–6 — you protect the roots, not the tree.
These 7 varieties are the proven northern set, led by Chicago Hardy — root-hardy to zone 5 and famous for fruiting after full dieback. All are common figs: self-fertile, no pollinator wasp needed, so one plant crops alone. Northern strategy in one line: plant against a south wall, mulch the crown a foot deep in November, or grow in a pot wintered in a garage. Sorted by hardiness; Desert King is the pick for cool-summer coastal gardens, ripening its early crop on old wood.
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| Variety | Zones | Ripens | Notes | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Hardy | 5-10 | Aug-Oct | sweet — Roots survive to zone 5 even if the top dies back | Buy from $69.95 |
| Brown Turkey | 6-10 | July-Sept (light breba plus main crop) | mild, mellow-sweet; reliable fresh eatingThe most widely sold, forgiving beginner fig; adaptable and productive, but the name covers several strains so buy from a reputable source. | Buy $46.73 |
| Celeste | 6-9 | Late July-Aug | very sweet amber-to-rose flesh; excellent fresh, dried, or preservedThe classic Southern 'sugar fig'; its closed eye makes it a top pick for humid regions where other figs sour, though heavy loads can drop in a hot early summer. Bears a single heavy main crop. | Buy from $62.95 |
| Desert King | 6-9 | Late June-Aug (breba crop) | sweet, strawberry-red flesh, green skin; excellent freshA San Pedro type whose heavy, reliable breba crop ripens without pollination, making it the standout choice for cool-summer, maritime climates like the Pacific Northwest. Plant one and expect a single (breba) crop. | Buy from $65.95 |
| Marseille | 6-9 | Late July, sometimes a second crop in a hot summer | small, sweet and rich; green-yellow to nearly white skin with rose seedy fleshA white fig, also known as White Genoa, that NC State says was brought to the US by Thomas Jefferson and is rumored to have been his favorite. It produces on new wood, so it can be pruned back hard in early spring to maintain shape. At zone 6 it sits at the cold end of its range and needs winter protection. | Browse growers |
| Olympian | 6-9 | July breba, then Aug-Sept main crop | very large green-and-purple fruit, sweet violet flesh; good freshA cold-hardy heirloom rediscovered in Olympia, Washington that ripens two crops early enough for shorter, cool-summer seasons but also takes Southern humidity. | Buy $82.35 |
| Violette de Bordeaux | 6-9 | Aug-Sept | rich, jammy, deep-berry; among the best-flavored dark figsA naturally dwarf, top-flavor fig prized for small spaces and pot culture, letting cold-climate growers move it to shelter in winter. | Buy $53.50 |