Edit 8/14: Due to character limits, all further updates will be made on this GoogleDoc spreadsheet: Cold Hardy Fig List by Flavor. Please keep sending info if you have it!

I have created a listing of hardy, productive varieties for growing in ground in Zone 6 sorted by flavor groups used by ascpete with a brief description. I personally want to get a sampling of the different flavor families and thought it would be helpful to newbies such as myself and others to have a list of what varieties are close in flavor so as to avoid too many similar tastes in a small or starting collection. I can’t take any responsibility for the original research and postings: most was done by ascpete, herman2, mgginva, Bass, drivewayfarmer, robertcharper, and many others. I merely compiled it into one post. If you see mistakes, have suggestions for additions, or have missing pieces of info that I couldn’t find, please let me know either by PM or comments! I hope to update it periodically as I find more pieces of the puzzle.

For the purpose of this list, hardy means the plants should survive in ground (Zone 6) given they are healthy and well cared for. As always, they will benefit from protection the first few years of life at a minimum and/or being container grown for the first several years. Please see ascpete's post #12 for more info regarding dieback in cold weather and link to herman2's cold injury report from winter 2013-2014. These varieties should be able to ripen in zone 6. Some may be marginal in Zone 6 and I've tried to note them. There are certainly many unknown and little known varieties that aren’t covered for the sake of being relatively brief.

The flavor profiles are as listed by ascpete here: Fig Groups - Comments Welcomed

Sugar, Honey, Adriatic Berry, Bordeaux Berry, Dark Berry, and Exotic Berry

Ripening Time (if available) are denoted by A (early), B (mid), and C (late).
I have copied them with his permission, thanks! Also included is whether the fig is light or dark and some general comments.

edit 8/14: Due to character limits I removed the details of flavor descriptions; please go to ascpete's thread linked above for more details:
Sugar  “Sugar sweet....”
Honey  “Honey sweet.... "
Adriatic Berry  “Sugar sweet...with berry flavor”
Bordeaux Berry  “Sweet, with a berry taste which is rich...”
Dark Berry “Mildly sweet to very sweet,some degree of berry flavor....”
Exotic Berry

Wow, the list you've compiled is quite useful. Thanks for your efforts. Gonna save this one.

Great list !
Thanks !
So when you said the RdB is very cold tolerant what were the in ground conditions? Was the plant wrapped? If so what technique did you use. it it was in a pot what was you lowest temp seen in the enclosure?

Awesome job, thanks for putting this together in one place. Much appreciated!
I am still waiting (patiently even) for cuttings of Florea, Sal's and maybe Stella. If anyone will have some available come winter or spring, please keep me in mind.

Very informative list, good going, it's a saver.

Thanks Kelby, then down south that is helpful.

This is so helpful being in the same growing zone! I can't comment on anything listed yet but thank you for compiling all the info! Very well organized!

Nice list. I don't believe Hunt is that cold hardy. It was the only fig to completely winter kill here (North GA) this winter with a low of 12F for a few hours (this tree had been transplanted earlier in the year, however). Hunt was originally bred in Eatonton in middle Georgia with a long stem to help shed the rain. It is normally a rampant grower, the figs are somewhat like a large Celeste in flavor. Not exceptional for me yet.

You are AWESOME Kelby!  Thank you so much, I really need this!

Kelby,
Thanks for starting this topic.
<I used the Flavor Grouping, Ripening Times and Cold Hardy info posted on the Forum to select 6 gateway cultivars that were readily available as a newbie. They were also all available from one vendor at a very reasonable cost, they were;

Southern Brown Turkey / O'Rourke (improved Celeste)... Dark, Sugar, Early
Hardy Chicago ... Dark, Berry, Mid.
Ischia Green / Conadria ... Light, Adriatic Berry, Late
LSU Purple ...  Dark, Sugar, Mid.
Violette de Bordeaux ... Dark, Bordeaux, Mid
White Marsielles / Latarulla ... Light, Honey, Early>

I would like to point out that "Cold Hardy Figs" is a misnomer since figs are from a Mediterranean Climate Zone 9 - 10, they cannot survive in extended temperatures below 15* F. without some protection or planning. As witnessed this past winter most figs that were exposed to temperatures below 10* F. for extended periods were killed back to the soil line.

The only thing that kept their roots alive and allowed for regrowth from the soil line is the constant temperature of the ground below the regional frost lines and or micro climates / winter protection. The trunk caliper size is an indication of the possible age of the tree and more an indication of how well the roots are established. This will help if the ambient temperatures are borderline cold. Once the ambient temperatures fall below 15* F and is maintained for an extended period the damage is predictably negative.

The micro climates and micro climates created by winterization are what keep the dormant above ground branches alive in those cold temperatures. Hardy earlier producing cultivars are usually the "Cold Hardy Varieties". Herman2 has done trials of in-ground fig trees and has posted extensively, in a discussion from this spring http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=6935835 he reported on all the "Cold Hardy" Cultivars that died back to the soil line.

<Edit>

Thank you for this, a nice effort. I don't see a letter for Green Ischia indicating its ripening time for your zone. It is supposed to be a Late B I think. Or early C.

Great, thanks for all the responses everyone! Is there anything else people would like to see added? I had considered adding links to detailed posts or photos of the varieties if available, would that be useful?

Scott: I added a comment about Hunt. I can't remember where I saw that one being hardy, perhaps it's not. Doesn't sound like a very good fig anyhow. Thanks for the heads up!

ascpete: Very useful comment, I added to check out your post in the original post.

rafaelissimmo: I added the ripening time for Green Ischia, thanks!

Thanks Kelby for getting this started. I mentioned a chart/database/chart needed to be started and added to a short while back on taste and of coarse hardiness and it was shot down by a couple well known members. Thanks for getting it started and maybe we can get it in a format that can be accessed easily and other zones be added. The response was that there are too many factors for this type of chart. Keep up the good work and let's see how additions come forth.

Kelby,

Excellent work.

Waynea,

The information is available with a simple Forum search or Google search, as explained in the "Start Here" Topic posted on the 1st Page.
There has been numerous documented discussions over the years, it has not been compiled, but is readily available. I shared my inventory spreadsheet

and expanded it last year, as referenced in the OP (Opening Post), http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/show_single_post?pid=1279721657&postcount=53 but at that time there wasn't much interest < >.

The Spreadsheet is posted and available for you to use, it can be downloaded and personalized / edited.
Good Luck.

<edit>

Yes! This is very helpful to us newbe's. We have to understand that all sorts of disclaimers apply. But still, it's a great place to start a wish list for temperature challenged individuals.

Please keep in mind that the more feedback we each give the better it will get. Contribute your two cents to help make it a million dollar chart.

Very helpful stuff for a new person trying to grow a collection that will work in a similar climate.  Thanks

A couple of other figs that are supposed to be "cold hardy" include Brooklyn Light, Susser Georg, Valle Negra (may be same or similar to Nero 600m), Olympian(not much out there on flavor yet) and ascpete's BryantDark. Others will have to fill in the flavor details on those. Hopefully these and other varieties can eventually be added to the list.

Thanks Pete, very helpful.

Apparently there is a character limit to posts which I hit, so I had to reformat it in order to squeeze some of the additional stuff in, hopefully this is still easy to use.

Ed - I added Brooklyn Light, Susser Georg (I had omitted because herman2 said it is very late to ripen, may not work for all in Zone 6), added Valle Negra and Valle Calda under Nero600m comments as possible synonyms, Olympian, and Bryant Dark. Thanks for those!

no cold hardy figs in my zone 6a,last Winter we had the coldest temperature in over 40 years ,all my figs where stored in a detached garage,had over 70 varieties,all where lost ,only Valle Negra ,Adriatic ,Celeste and H.Chicago are coming back from the roots.Ciao,
Giuseppe

Nice topic and good work.

I have many of the varieties listed so far. I wonder at Hardy Chicago listed as a mid-season fig. Mine sits right next to my Celeste plants and annually ripens with them. In fact, my HC figs started swelling four or five days before my first Celeste fig began swelling (both trees are about 8 years old) and has around 10 figs ripening vs that one Celeste fig. I've got four other Celeste trees (unintentionally collected as unknowns in trades) that have yet to swell a fruit. My MBVS is in its 5th leaf and doesn't have any fruit out of the stagnant stage yet, though it is in a less sunny part of the yard. In the past it has been next to HC and has always stated ripening figs later in the season. Perhaps it's an age thing.

Anybody else with these figs that see their HC start before or with these other two figs listed as early ripeners?

Great work!  You might consider adding Sal's Corleone and Zingarella both of which would be considered among the more cold hardy figs.  Also "Fico Preto" should be corrected to "Figo Preto".  My understanding is that Black Madeira and Figo Preto would be considered less cold hardy than the average fig so I'm not sure if you should keep it on the list.  I would like to be proven wrong though.

Attaboy!!!
This is a good start and is needed. I can think of a few that aren't on here so I'll see about collecting the info.
thx