What kind of "fig tree," CoMary? Some sort of a Ficus? Like a Ficus benjamina, weeping fig? All the Ficus species I know of are tropicals and don't deal at all well with cold--even inside of a house for the most part. I have a fiddle leaf fig, Ficus lyrata, but it's strictly an indoor plant--even in summer. I gave a couple starts of it away at last year's Spring Swap, and it's "conceivable" I'd do it again in 2012! Benjamina is the most common one, but I think Ficus alii is a really cool one too--just in case you happen to be looking for one!

And, I've never grown it--used to sell it--but there is a "hardy kiwi" which, I just discovered, is the same genus as the kiwi we normally buy in stores, but the fruit is supposed to be much smaller than the store bought ones. I've never actually seen one in cultivation, but see the description in the link below.

If you decide to try one, I wanna know what you think of it when you get fruit!

Skybird

Here is a link that might be useful: Hardy Kiwi - Actinidia arguta

My in-laws had a large fig tree in Colorado. They grew it in a large container. In the spring, they'd wheel it outside to a warm, sunny location. In the fall, they'd bring it indoors in the winter. The plant did set fruit every year.

Most figs aren't all that hardy below around 10-15F (though some will survive dips down below 5F). So they are not practical for permanent outdoor planting in Colorado. I believe the hardier ones are considered to be zone 7-ish.

If you want to try them outdoors, consider your micro-climate and also provide good winter protection.

As for kiwis, I would very much like to try some of the hardy kiwis. There are a couple of species that are definitely cold-hardy enough to survive our winters. I don't know if they like the rest of our climate, though! I'll find out... You do need at least one male kiwi vine to pollinate the females.

I will probably order mine from One Green World. They also carry some of the fig varieties known to be cold hardy, and lots of interesting Asian and eastern European fruits that have some potential to do well in Colorado. Central Asia is high and dry and cold in the winters. It seems like those sorts of fruits might be worth a try here.

It is a hardy kiwi that I have considered for a while.

The fig is the Brown Turkey fig. It does need protection below 10 F. Of course we get below that in the winter but it isn't prolonged so could be covered...I remember reading about people in zone 5 that have grown it in the outdoors...still researching as we love fresh figs!

I will post if I give it a try :-)

I've grown hardy kiwis for 13 years in Longmont; they have no problems growing here at all and even like our alkaline soil. Every spring, they leaf out and set flower buds well before our last frost, which has knocked all the flowers / fruits off of them 12 years in a row. They seem to be strictly ornamental for me, which is a shame because the fruit are much tastier than the A. chinensis you can get in the stores. Yes, they are smaller, but no fuzz on the peel means you can eat the whole fruit like a grape.

I had a 'Chicago Hardy' fig in a pot for a few years, letting it get larger and better-established before I planted it in the ground 3 years ago. It survived the past two winters (not sure about this one yet) but it has been dying back more every year since I put it in the ground. With adequate protection and a warm site, it might be hardy enough here, but in the ground I don't think our summer season is long enough to ever let it ripen fruit.

Kevin

I have three kiwis here in my yard. I planted them about 4 years ago. Two of them are hardy kiwis (originally ordered 4), and the other is a golden kiwi that grew from seeds i saved. The hardy kiwis grow slower. So far i haven't seen any flowers (or fruit), so maybe they aren't big enough yet. Hopefully the golden one is a female, and hopefully at least one of the others is a male, but i don't know. I've read that the golden ones can only survive to 10F, but last winter we got down to -20 i think, and all three were still there last summer. I suspect any kiwis will grow fine in colorado if you give them a chance!

Here is a link that might be useful: Kiwiberry Organics Lancaster Farming Article