Make It Green Garden Center

Welcome to our plant search tool. This database contains many of the thousands of plants that we carry. There are some notable exceptions. Hundreds of new perennials come out every year and Make It Green has been a leader in making them available to you. Eventually the recent introductions will make it to our plant search tool but every year there will be a lag between our in-store plant selection and this search tool. Unfortunately this search tool can't cover everything that we will carry this year. We also carry over 100 varieties of rare and unusual evergreens and over 100 varieties of hard-to-find shrubs many of which are not in the plant search. Click on the Plant List button for a list of nearly all the woody plants (trees, shrubs and evergreens) that we have ordered or already have in stock for this coming year.



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Chicago Hardy Fig*

Ficus carica 'Chicago Hardy'

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Chicago Hardy Fig (Ficus carica 'Chicago Hardy') at Make It Green Garden Centre

Chicago Hardy Fig fruit

Chicago Hardy Fig fruit

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Chicago Hardy Fig (Ficus carica 'Chicago Hardy') at Make It Green Garden Centre

Chicago Hardy Fig flowers

Chicago Hardy Fig flowers

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Chicago Hardy Fig (Ficus carica 'Chicago Hardy') at Make It Green Garden Centre

Chicago Hardy Fig foliage

Chicago Hardy Fig foliage

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

* This is a "special order" plant - contact store for details

Height:  20 feet

Spread:  20 feet

Sunlight:  full sun  partial shade 

Hardiness Zone:  7a

Other Names:  Bensonhurst Purple Fig

Description:

Noted for having unusually good winter hardiness, this variety can be maintained as a large shrub in cooler areas with some winter protection; sweet purplish-red fruit in fall, in clusters among interesting lobed leaves; also a great container plant

Edible Qualities

Chicago Hardy Fig is a small tree that is typically grown for its edible qualities, although it does have ornamental merits as well. It produces plum purple fruit (technically 'pomes') which are usually ready for picking from early to mid fall. The fruits have a sweet taste.

The fruit are most often used in the following ways:

  • Fresh Eating
  • Cooking
  • Preserves

Features & Attributes

Chicago Hardy Fig has attractive dark green foliage with chartreuse veins on a tree with a round habit of growth. The lobed leaves are highly ornamental but do not develop any appreciable fall colour. The fruits are showy plum purple pomes carried in abundance in mid fall. The fruit can be messy if allowed to drop on the lawn or walkways, and may require occasional clean-up.

This is a deciduous tree with a more or less rounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition. This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Aside from its primary use as an edible, Chicago Hardy Fig is sutiable for the following landscape applications;

  • Accent
  • Shade
  • Hedges/Screening
  • General Garden Use
  • Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Chicago Hardy Fig will grow to be about 20 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 20 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more.

This tree is quite ornamental as well as edible, and is as much at home in a landscape or flower garden as it is in a designated edibles garden. It does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Chicago Hardy Fig is a good choice for the edible garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.

This plant is not reliably hardy in our region, and certain restrictions may apply; contact the store for more information.

 

* This is a "special order" plant - contact store for details

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight
Characteristics
Accent  Shade  Screening  Garden  Container 
Applications
Fruit  Foliage Color  Winter Value  Attracts Wildlife 
Ornamental Features