Ficus carica 'Chicago Hardy' - Chicago Hardy Fig

The Chicago Hardy Fig is an extremely hardy fruiting tree known for its sweet purple skinned fruits ready for harvest from late summer into fall.  These fruits are extra rich with a complex flavor similar to berries and honey with a hint of cotton candy. Its large deep lobed dark green foliage has no fall color.  Grows best in sunny areas and moist well-drained soil. 

Syn. with 'Bensonhurst Purple'.

MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Medium Maintenance.  Water regularly-weekly or more in extreme heat.  Watch for mites, aphids, mealybugs, nematodes, and scale.  Fruit can become messy if not promptly harvested.  Chicago Hardy will produce fruit on new growth from branches that have died back from winter damage.  Winter damaged plants may only reach 3-4’ if in climates that regularly induce dieback (temperatures below 10F).

LANDSCAPE USES:  Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Woodland Garden, Wildlife Gardens, Shade Tree, Edible Landscapes, and Containers.

COMPANION PLANTS: Lavender, Strawberry, Rosemary

IMAGES: Debouch, Hardy chicago fig, CC BY-SA 4.0, (2) Famartin, 2020-07-11 07 51 49 Leaves in mid-summer on a Chicago Hardy Common Fig along Tranquility Court in the Franklin Farm section of Oak Hill, Fairfax County, Virginia, CC BY-SA 4.0, (3) Famartin, 2017-08-25 08 43 41 Ripe fruit of a Chicago Hardy Fig along Tranquility Court in the Franklin Farm section of Oak Hill, Fairfax County, Virginia, CC BY-SA 4.0

*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.