Heather,

I would recommend the Chicago Hardy. It has delicious figs and is both prolific and hardy. It is relatively easy to find, usually sold at Home Depot or Lowes.

Get the largest (widest diameter trunk), most mature one you can find/afford. It will shorten the waiting time for quality, abundant crops of figs. Pot grown figs transplant wonderfully easily, even bigger ones. Figs are tough, vigorous fruiting trees, and want and like to grow!

It is a relatively short season fig, meaning the figs of Chicago Hardy naturally ripen in the earlier part of the fig ripening season, ripening its crop in mid to late summer into early fall. You want an early ripening fig for best sweetness and flavor. Late ripening fig varieties ripen their figs too late in your shorter growing season so you never get a decent tasting crop from late ripening fig varieties.

The word Hardy in Chicago Hardy means it has one of the most winter cold resistance of any fig variety. Its American origin was Chicago, but it was not developed/bred by a Chicago agriculturist. It is reported by reliable fig experts to be a Sicilian fig, originally growing in the vicinity of Mount Etna. Fig varieties whose origin is in the Mt. Etna vicinity, as a group are referred to as, "Mount Etna Figs."

Figs are very adaptable trees, but cold winters and short growing seasons are not kind to figs.

Before you take my word as the Gospel truth for me recommending Chicago Hardy, ask around at your big Mom and Pop local nurseries. See what they recommend. The big box places usually are no help in the knowledge/advice dept.

You want a fig tree that requires minimal care, no burying or wrapping with tarps to protect for winter if possible. One that has no or minimal winter die back in Southern Maryland. I know personally that big fig trees grow very well in the Baltimore area with minimal care. You don't want a variety that has winter die back, especially dying to the ground. You also do not want to have to go through elaborate means of winter protection to head off winter kill/die back, especially the main trunk.

Also consult your local state agricultural dept. for advice.

Figs come in two main fruit characteristic classes, light colored fruit and dark colored fruit.

The light colored fruit is sweeter, but weaker figgy flavored. These varieties also are usually later ripening. Don't get me wrong, they are extremely delicious, but different from what the average Joe expects.

The dark colored fruit is still rather sweet, but usually has that figgy (Fig Newton style), taste, and is what most folks expect.

Chicago Hardy is in the darker class.

I hope your fig tree exceeds your expectations.

Moses

A big thank you, Moses! I was debating myself between Chicago Hardy and Celeste and now you helped me make my mind. Personally, I don't appreciate the very sweet taste and prefer the fruity taste so I think Chicago hardy fits me better. I will also follow your suggestions to check around before going to home depot. Again, really appreciate your comprehensive reply!

Heather,

I grow Celeste. It's not been a good cropper for me so far.

I pot culture all my figs. My Chicago Hardy is prolific and delicious. It and Celeste are the same age. This will be their 4th. growing season, 2018. They are becoming mature.

I hope to get a ripe fig from Celeste this year. They dropped before ripening last year, and before last year, Celeste was someonelses fig tree. I don't know if it ripened figs in 2017.

I will give it more years to show what it can do, but younger figs than Celeste gave me delicious figs last year. I'm having doubts.

Moses