Definitely- go over to the fig forum and you'll see certain cultivars work well even for those in cold mountains (like chicago hardy)and up north, whereas some are barely hardy here (some of the LA and TX cultivars). Where they are sited and how protected they are has a lot of bearing, too. I have a celeste in a 32 gallon tub up against a south facing wall that is perfectly hardy. 2 tubs down is a petite negri, and i lost about 1/2 of its branches because i was too lazy to put it in the basement this past winter like i normally do. Before we put it in the tub, it basically died to the ground each winter and barely struggled back. It's a dwarf with incredible fruit. I'd hoped to have enough to do cuttings since it was getting big & frisky but this winter blew that. it'll bounce back, but it'll prolly be next yr before i have enough to do cuttings now. I haven't been in the back to see how the one big fruited kind i have fared this winter. I got it from Betty, and where she had it was somewhat protected, but it was the biggest thing- 10-12' at least and trunks 4-6"around. So it's obviously cold hardy, but whether it loses the breba crop without protection, i don't know. Some types don't even set a breba crop (what karen is seeing now- they overwinter just in the stem)- those are safer in cold areas. If you lose the breba or the cultivar doesn't have one, you only get one crop a year instead of 2. People go to crazy, elaborate measures in colder climes to have fresh figs. Being one of my absolute favorite fruits (and that's saying a lot from me!) I know if i ever head back up, i will too. There's nothing like a fresh fig still warm from the sun with some great cheese - mmmm.

I'd had Alma years ago and never got much fruit. It was in a large pot and I didn't even bother giving it away when I gave away my other figs. I figured it was a dud, and it has been neglected for years. Last spring when I started rooting cuttings I took a bunch a cuttings off the Alma. Surprisingly (they were very weak) they all took, and I suddenly had a lot of Alma plants. I didn't want to take up much room with them, so even though they grew like weeds, I left them in pots that were a little smaller than a gallon. To my surprise they started producing figs. It would seem that Alma likes to have it's toes pinched - that a congested root mass somehow encourages fruit production. This is just an observation (no proof) - but it would explain one of Alma's contradictions - why it bears resonably for some, but not for others. I can't guess why some find it hardier than others.

Chad, you are a lucky fig person to be living in a zone 6b. I wished I lived in a 6b. Which is were I thought we were, when we bought our house, 40 years ago. But, our location turned out to be a zone 5b/6a. The first fig we bought was a Hardy Chicago. At the time every one recommended it as the most cold hardy. But, it is not. In the last 30 years a lot of cold hardy figs have been discovered. In the last 20 years even more cold hardy ones. In the last ten years we have been growing and testing figs for cold hardiness. We have been able to identify many that are more cold hardy then Hardy Chicago. If you or any one else would like a list of figs that have done well for us, in ground, in our cold, Connecticut, 5b/6a zone location. Simply send to me a direct email. Send to: robertcharper@gmail.com I will attaché the list to the return email to you. Bob

I absolutelly agree with Elder posting,and the comparisson,between California and Conecticut. I also wants to add that most cultivars are not hardy in the north east,no matter if young or old. We here on the east coast have a continuous need to reaserch for cold hardy figs,and need to just grow as many cultivars as possible,even if there will be a lots of them that will dissapoint us at the end. Once a cultivar is found to be positivelly hardy,then it should be made known on Garden Forum,so it will be spreaded out in the future. If one also let the Forum know about dissapointing cultivars,that is also necesarry,to know. I also found a third category,of fig tree valuable in the north east. I found a handfull of trees,that are not cold hardy,but they positivelly get ripe in our climate and can be grown in containers,with great success. This is ,because most fig trees will not get ripe in the north east region,as they need more heat units,than our northern,climate can offer. So this last group is important to be known too,because most best tasting figs are in this last category. Hope this will help. H