FWIW, I'm in Phx and I ordered a Mission fig from one of the big seed catalog companies years ago - it came as a twig with a bundle of dirt on one end and no sign of life at the other. After I got it in the ground, fertilized it and tried to ignore it's twig-ness for a few weeks - it perked right up and became a wonderfully bushy green actual fig tree. We got fruit off it one year, but the water requirement was just too high (we're on a well) so I ended up letting it die. If you aren't on city irrigation (do they do that in Tucson?) successfully maintaining a fig may be costly. But my main point is that ordering a dormant "fig-twig" may not be a bad option if your local guys don't pan out.

dieseler-Martin I just bought 3 ,one galon container fig plants at Ted`s greenhouse at Tinley Park,IL they was not labeled so I not sure what kind of Figs I got.I am new with fig trees but I think I`d to start these plants from cuttings,If you need to trim your figs at Fall to fit them in your garage ,I would be wery happy I could get few cuttings from you.I live in south suburbs so I could stop by to pick`em up. Thanks , Remis

Rlbloom, this "abnormally normal" winter did in many a fig that has been in the ground for years, but never experienced temps as low as we had this year. There's a good chance, though, that the roots survived. Keep a watch for growth down low, or even from below ground. I've seen trees push new growth as late as June after being winter-killed. That being said, if growth doesn't start by the end of this month, it may not have time to harden off before NEXT winter, and would be killed again. If you do get new growth, trim the existing branch structure to give the new growth as much sun as possible. Once you see what's going to sprout, thin the new growth to 3 to 5 sprouts. You don't want the roots trying to support a jungle after being so stressed. To insure that the growth will harden off, pinch out the growing tips every time 5-7 new full-sized leaves form on each sprout. This will cause the growth below to begin to lignify (harden and form bark), as well as insuring a full, bushy, shrubby growth. DON'T fertilize until next year, it only stresses the plant more. John

The following quote comes from the LSU Ag. Department's Fig publication: "The LSU Gold variety was released by the LSU AgCenter in 2001. LSU Gold is a large yellow fig (35-50 grams)blushed with red and containing light red to pink pulp. The fruit has excellent flavor and good cold resistance. One of the limting characteristics of LSU Gold is the open eye when mature. This can cause spoilage of fruit during ripening in high moisture periods. This variety is recommended for Louisiana." I can attest to the outstanding flavor of this variety. When I tasted my first LSU Gold several years ago, I could not believe a fig could taste so good. Prior to that I had only tasted Brown Turkey and Celeste (probably not a true Celeste). This variety ignited a passion in me for figs and I have collected many varieties since then. I have a few cuttings available for trade if anyone is interested (mine can be traced directly to the LSU breeding program). I also have a few cuttings of LSU Purple, LSU Improved Celeste, and LSU Golden Celeste. I am interested in varieties that I do not have. I am looking for Falls Gold, Hollier, White Texas Everbearing, and other varieties with good taste that should grow well in South Louisiana. Dan