Fig Varieties for Cold Climates
There isn't one best fig for every cold-climate garden. Choose a variety according to what limits you: winter cold, a short or cool summer, pollination, container space, or simply the kind of fig you enjoy eating.
For many cold-climate growers, ripening time matters more than novelty. A locally proven early fig can be far more useful than a trendy variety that sits stubborn and green when fall arrives.
Large or small, dark or light skin, dark or light flesh, early harvest or late, breba or main crop…there are lots of things to think about when picking fig varieties.
Choose by the problem you need to solve
Need winter hardiness?
Cold hardiness matters most for in-ground figs that stay outside all winter. 'Chicago Hardy' and 'Longue d'Août' are two well-known hardy varieties. It matters much less when you move a potted fig to protected winter storage.
Have a short or cool summer?
Look for an early main crop. 'Ronde de Bordeaux' is a perennial favourite in my garden. Early, reliable varieties can move harvest forward by weeks.
Want the earliest crop?
Choose a variety known for a generous breba crop. Brebas form on wood from the previous season and ripen before the main crop. In cool climates, they're fig insurance.
No fig wasp where you live?
Choose varieties that can produce the crop you want without pollination. Most cold-climate growers rely on “common” figs that don’t need pollination for breba or main crops. San Pedro types such as Desert King don’t require pollination for the breba crop.
Collecting?
The same fig can circulate under more than one name, while vague names can refer to unrelated plants.
A practical starter shortlist
For early main-crop figs, look at varieties such as Ronde de Bordeaux, Improved Celeste, and Florea. For a heavy breba crop, Desert King is a classic. Use the detailed variety guide and grower interviews below to compare choices for conditions like yours.
Articles on Choosing Fig Varieties
Ready to go deeper?
Fig Camp & Fig Masterclass
Learn how to grow figs in pots or in the ground, ripen more fruit, and get your plants through winter.
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t
My complete guide to growing figs in cold climates and pots, from choosing varieties to conquering winter.
REVISED SOFTCOVER EDITION COMING FALL 2026
The completely revised edition of Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t has grown from fewer than 100 pages to 320 full-colour pages. It draws on years of growing figs in Toronto and on ideas shared by inventive cold-climate and container fig growers around the world.
If you think figs are only for Mediterranean hillsides and sun-drenched patios, think again.
In Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t, horticulturist Steven Biggs shows how home gardeners are harvesting bowls of ripe, honey-sweet figs in places where winter routinely reaches freezing temperatures and colder.
This is a practical guide to growing figs in cold climates and small spaces. Whether you’re gardening in Ontario, Idaho, Pennsylvania, or anywhere with real winters, you’ll learn how to make figs work where they shouldn’t.
Along with the key concepts, you’ll get real-world strategies from growers who are doing this successfully.
The original edition of Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t won a Silver Award of Achievement from the Garden Writers Association, now GardenComm.