I have read that the smith figs taste great and do well in the south. Has anyone here in a cooler climate had any luck with an in ground tree? Would it be able to ripen figs or even handle a zone 6b winter without being in a container and stored in a garage?
Thanks,
Chad

I am growing in a container and have not experienced any issues yet, but as for in ground, its just too damn cold here lately and even with protection trees are getting clobbered. I'd only go for it if you could build a fig protection cage or grew it in a microclimate such as south facing wall with a heat source nearby (I once saw a trio of fig trees survive the last winter without protection because they were along a brick wall and near a heat duct from the building's heat exhaust.) Without extraordinary measures, you are looking at annual dieback.

PepperMan,
I suggest you research to find info on cold hardy figs that do well in zone 6b and then narrow that down to figs you want to try.
Smith has a reputation for having off years. 
My Smith had very good figs this year but if it does not have very good figs every year I see no reason to keep it.
There are so many varieties that have great figs year after year that unless you plan on having a large collection I suggest you narrow down your list to the most productive of the figs with very good flavor.
best,
mgg
If I were in 6b and growing outside there are a number of varieties on your wish list I'd swap out with more hardy ones. In my humble opinion RdB is the one fig I'd make sure I had.

Who says Smith has off years?  And does off year mean bad flavor or biennialism?

Michael,

I planted two Smith trees in the ground near Austin (zone 8b) in Dec 2011.  I have yet to get a fruit from them and have yet to have a winter they did not die back to the ground... If my memory is correct, these were from 3rd generation cuttings with the great-grandparent originating at Just Fruits and Exotics.