Sure can, just needs to be winterized every yr. Do a search of the foroum here on winterizing and you'll see what I mean.

Most scrupulous fig sellers will not guarantee a fig to overwinter outdoors, inground in zone 7 (and below). Many have disclaimers that state it (Edible Landscaping comes immediately to mind). Of course, some form of Winterizing, as fortisi mentions, is pretty much a necessity--keeping your fingers crossed doesn't seem to work, here in zone 7.

I live in zone 7 (NM) & the first two years the cutting died back to the ground in winter & sprouted up the next summer. This the third year the bush didn't die back & we had the first ripe figs. We do wrap a cage around the bush & fill it with leaves for winter so that may help. The last figs this year to develop on the new growth on the bush did not have time to ripen but we at least got to sample a few of the rip earlier ones. The cutting came from a bush (no one knows the variety) in zone 6 (Roswell, NM) & it is many years old, never protected in winter & always bears so there are sure exceptions & I felt it was worth our trying at least ... and it worked!

Keep trying & hope you are successful!

Anyone ever put pipe insulation on the trunk and limbs of smaller trees? Would be easy to do to a 3 - 5 foot tall tree. Then a good blanket of straw or something insulating on the ground over the root system. Just a thought. FF

vieja: It would be better if you could "shred" the leaves, or shred straw or hay. Leaves, particularly, hold moisture and get slimy, and will actually rot the bark of your fig tree trunk and branches, if allowed to overwinter on it (while wet). I've had it happen, here, with mine.
figfarmer: I've not only done it (after it was recommended to me), but I posted last year that it was recommended to me by a friend, and should be trialed. Well, I discovered it's no good, for me. It seems to cause enough heat, when temperatures warm, a bit, to cause the fig to break dormancy. I STRICTLY don't like synthetic substances on Fig trees, that cause unnatural heating when warmed by the sun. Plastic, foam, etc., etc., have no place on my Fig trees, anymore. They seem to do more harm than good. They do fine through extreme cold, but during mild spells, seem to cause damage by warming, then cooling--like a greenhouse effect; causing the plant to break dormancy, then refreeze.

Pipe insulation for me was not worthwhile. I put on the pipe insulation and then wrapped with burlap and finally with a tarp. Everywhere there was pipe insulation I lost the growth.

~Chills

I think the problem with pipe insulation is it'll trap moisture just like plastic does.....so for that reason it wouldnt be recommended. Now if you used the more expensive stuff that looks like the old asbestos type of wrap, that might work better since the insulation would probably wick away the moisture.

Hi Philmont:I will answer your question like that:There are Fig trees as hardy as peach,and will grow just fine up to zone 6 without any protection.
The problem is to find that cultivar and to like the taste of the fruit.I had one but i did not like the taste,and the fact it had open eye and will sour if rain comes while ripening fruits.
Other Fig trees are much less resistant to cold.
A lot of best choise cultivars will need protection in any colder region above zone 8.Best regards

I am in zone 6, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It is my understanding that there is no fig variety suitble for my area which can be grown outside and never be brought inside? What are reputable nurseries to buy from? And what varieties will do best? Thank you everybody for the help.

Philmont 709n2, hmmm, that sounds like a trek number on the north side. Did you climb Baldy? I had an N2 trek number back in 82, French Henry mine, Baldy, Tooth of Time, etc.

As for figs, I'm just starting too, just had to say hello to someone who, by appearances of name, has something in common with me!

You can try Hardy chicago, you'll need to plant it by the south side of the house, in a sunny spot. It grows successfully that way for many in my area.

Bass

herman,
is the fig you're talking about anywhere available?
regards

Quineoah:Talk with George(Gorge)on This forum he will tell you where to find a fig in Viena,that grows without protection.The fig i am talking about is not avalable comercially but George have seen the mother plant and has a small exemplar,Regards

I have a few varieties of figs, and Chicago hardy happens to be one of them. I will be experimenting with propagating them all early this spring. This winter I'm testing various methods of protection to see which works best in this weird zone6bwhenitfeelslikeit climate!

This post was edited by weavingone on Sun, Jan 19, 14 at 11:52

Vienna is zone 8a, so almost any fig can survive in this city unless there is some extraordinary cold winter. Temperatures rarely drop below 0 F, usually not below 5 F. Planty of figs in Vienna.

I am myself about 80 km from Vienna in zone 7a. Figs usually survive here, but every 4th 5th winter die to the ground, when temperatures are near to 0 F. Since I grow figs in form of bush, it is no problem, Figs grow fast, so after 2 years you have nice tree. So I would say zone 7 is ok for growing figs. Figs will almost always survive on roots and recover and if there are a few mild winters - you will have nice trees and nice harvests. Temperatures are not everything. Most imporant is the timing of frosts. If they come in the middle of dormancy - it is not so big problem. If they come after warm spell in February - most figs are usually damaged.

No cultivar of common fig is absolutely winter resistant in zone 7 or lower. Even in zone 8 it can freeze once a decade. I have seen a lot of cultivars and tried myseld and I am pretty sure about this.