Hey everybody. I want to pick out some cuttings and I need some help.

I've never grown figs before. I'm looking for two kinds: hardy and tasty. I live in Pittsburgh, and I plan on keeping all of the trees in pots for at least the first year. After that, I'd like to transplant a couple into the ground, so I'm looking for some hardy varieties. I also want a couple of the tastiest varieties that will grow in pots and produce fruit in this climate.

From what I've seen, people who grow outside here typically bury their trees during the winter. I've also seen some trees growing as shrubs without winter wrapping or burial. USDA has us as zone 6. The Arbor Day foundation calls Pittsburgh 6/7 ( the Pittsburgh metro area is a little dot of zone 7 on the map and the surrounding area is all zone 6). It was -7 yesterday, which is unusually cold for this area. The record low was -19 in 1994. Between 1997 and 2007, the average annual low was 1.18 degrees, with a range of -5 to 5. According to Floridata, the average last frost is April 16, and the first frost is November 3--a growing season of 201 days. Those days seem a bit optimistic to me. I usually plant tomatoes around May 15.

Do you think a black mission would work in a pot here? The fresh fig selection is decidedly unextensive out here, so I've only tasted a couple of varieties. Of the ones I've had, I've preferred the sweeter, darker ones.

I know eventually you may not stop at just having one or two fig plants so why not start with Hardy Chicago and Celeste while you continue with your search for the hardiest and the tastiest ones and these two will be maturing gradually for better fruiting later.

That's some very good advice from Ottawan. I would also recommend you go with some old standards first as he suggested. Might even add Brown Turkey and Desert King to that list which usually do well in the NE.

I prefer Violette de Bordeaux over Hardy Chicago for flavor and sweetness.  I do not know the hardiness of Bordeaux though.  We did plant both my VDB and HC outside this fall and have them surrounded with straw bales and the inside stuffed with loose straw.  They were cut to about 18 inches tall.  Will see next season how they have both fared.  I have not tasted Celeste, Brown Turkey nor Dessert King yet, hopefully they will produce this year.  My favorite is Italian Honey, but I don't know its hardiness either.  Did not risk putting it outside since it is so highly favored.

Thanks, guys. I appreciate the suggestions.