If it's not a Chicago Hardy, maybe you could name it Ohio Hardy! You may be right, it may be a known variety, but some times there are beneficial mutations that occur within a particular cultivar. For instance: I have a friend with some commercial orchards. One of the varieties he grows is Gala. One day one of the workwrs shows up munching a couple of apples. It was something like 3 full weeks early (3 weeks is a big deal). So he takes my buddy over to where he got them and there is one branch on one tree in a pretty huge orchard with fully ripe apples on it! Long story short -- he's getting a million bucks a year on royalties for a new sub cultivar that ripens... you guessed it, 3 weeks early! So, even if it is a 'known' cultivar, who knows, it might have cold hardiness that exceeds the parent cultivar. I know there is no list, but who doesn't want a cold-hardy fig!!! Count me in!

Smack between Cleveland and Columbus and I have seen one in town survive the recent two nasty cold winters. I even sampled some and found the taste quite good. I was fortunate enough to get cuttings, but they moldered. Keep us posted on your find. It may be the same variety, but maybe we will see more than one variety hardy in Ohio!

I will ask Dad to sneak over and get me a air layer,
No I wont, I will let the family settle in before I ask
for a shoe box of cuttings.
Those in zone 5 are the only ones that
can truly test hardiness of the fig.
I will contact some of you for testing.
I have great respect for those in that zone that
still manage to grow figs. You will be first.

If and when I get cuttings, I will pm you.

Doug

Please keep me posted. I would love to have a cutting of this. Pennsylvania is very unforgiving when it comes to figs

How awesome is that I'm in Northern Indiana the only figs I've ever seen are in a historic greenhouse.

I spoke to family member yesterday.
They have keys to property now.
Prior owner just happens to have his own landscape business
I was told. So Im guessing he is part of the trees success.
Will know more soon. I will post what I get when I get it.

Doug

If prior owner is a landscaper, he just might know the variety, too.

I just got a pic

ohios fig by Doug B, on Flickr


ohio fig by Doug B, on Flickr

Doug

If you are able try to find out what direction is that wall facing. Still truly impressive that it can survive Ohio winters and I would still love a cutting. I have a friends that's a notorious fig hound and can almost identify anything. I would love to hear what he thinks it is

My money is on hardy chicago. :). The one I have in ground looks about the same size.

Doug,

I also bet on Hardy Chicago.it is impressive to see it surviving in zone 5, albeit the closeness to the house probably gives it a few degrees of protection. Would it have the gene to survive zone 4? Well I think it would be too much to ask of it...

Cheers,
Marcel

The picture seems to show smallish branches with new growth only near the ground.  So it seems that this unprotected plant is dying back to ground level every year.  Isn't that pretty typical for Mt Etna types in the midwest?

hERE'S A COUPLE PICS OF MINE.    

I would like the opinion of Ross, Michael G and Jon.

There is no way to tell if the top of the tree s dead.
That is more than 1 years growth
It had to have made it through the couple years past winters
to be the size it is.

I will get a couple cuttings from them next fall and put it in my orchard.
It depends on fruit color size ect to make a good conclusion of what it is.
For now it is a unknown.

When and if I have extra cuttings, I will let you all know.

Doug

Most figs will grow back when tops winter killed to the ground and some actually will produce & ripen a few figs albeit much later than the same fig with winter protection or in a pot. 

Shows the survivability of figs & why they are grown all over the world.

I am still waiting for someone to discover the magic fig whose unprotected branches can survive a winter with temps less than -10C/ 14F.  I think if someone does they will discover that it is a mulberry tree or a frankenfig..lol

Hi Pino.
I have all my oldest trees that are 6 years old not die back to ground this last winter.
As a fig tree ages, it also adds to hardiness.
I see this in all the trees I've planted.
The older trees survive winter, the less than 3 year old trees usually always die back to ground
then regrow.
I wish I could ship to Canada Pino.

Doug

If you look at the big stalk you see 2 branches with 3-4" of green.
Tells me it may leaf out yet. Remember this is ohio with short growing season.
Ive seen a fig grow 6 feet in one year, sure its possible it could be one years growth,
but the big stalk does not look dead.
Im guessing it is a 3 year old tree.

Doug

Doug,
geez . . .  folks sure are excited and jumping to conclusions.
This may be a great find and hopefully if it produces figs we'll get to see if it is an unknown or not.
If it is please put "unknown" in the name.
It's hard to tell exactly what's going on with this tree as we don't know why it was pruned.
I do hope you get a ton of cuttings and gift, trade or sell enough so we can hopefully add another cold hardy fig.
I know what a generous guy you are and am sure you'll do what you think is right.
When the leaves and figs are ripe I sure do want to see pictures!
Thanx 4 sharing!!

Last winter my tree did not die back, Just lost the growing tips is all. The 2 winters before that it did die back to the ground so what your seeing in my pics is 1 years growth. Last year it grew that tall and ripened every fig on the tree for the first time. I did clean up the center of the tree so now I am down to 6 main shoots.
I really like my HC so hopefully that's what you have there as well. I can do an air layer on mine if you want a HC to compare yours to.

Thanks Michael.

figherder thanks but I have 2 now in my orchard.


Doug

I don't know what this is but my HC grows several stems to 15' each year and I cut it back to the ground.  2 or 3 years ago the stems only got to 12 feet. 

That tree has 2 branches in it's 3rd year. What was the low in the last 4 years at your friend's place, Doug? Did he say how long has it been in the ground?

As for what this is.. Idk how anyone can say just yet.

Edit: It certainly looks hardy to me. Very good find, Doug. According to sources online. Parts of Ohio are in zone 5B. That would mean that temps can reach -15 F. Even with the house microclimate behind the tree.. that's still astounding.