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Plants · Fruit and berries

Fig planting zones

Every fig on this page (Ficus carica) is a perennial, so two questions decide it: does it live through your winter, and does it get enough winter cold to fruit. By the type table below, at least one type is rated for 7a–11b. Below the types are the dates the year turns on: each zone’s median last spring freeze and first fall freeze, from NOAA records.

Published October 28, 2026 · Cite this page

The types

Which fig to grow

Type Hardy in the ground Notes
‘Celeste’ Ficus carica ‘Celeste’ (‘Celestial’) 7a to 11b, then too little winter Texas A&M AgriLife says it appears to be the most cold hardy fig evaluated in Texas, and the University of Arkansas agrees. Small brown fruit with a tightly closed eye; ripens early.
‘Brown Turkey’ Ficus carica ‘Texas Everbearing’ (‘Brown Turkey’) 7b to 11b, then too little winter Less cold hardy than ‘Celeste’ (Texas A&M AgriLife), but the University of Arkansas says it rebounds faster from winter damage and bears even after a hard winter.
‘LSU Purple’ Ficus carica ‘LSU Purple’ 8a to 11b, then too little winter Released by Louisiana State University in 1991. Texas A&M AgriLife calls it relatively cold hardy and widely adapted across the Gulf Coast.
‘Alma’ Ficus carica ‘Alma’ 9a to 11b, then too little winter Texas A&M AgriLife says it is very frost sensitive, especially when young, and best grown no more than 200 miles from the Gulf of Mexico.

Zone ranges are a judgement: horticultural convention set beside what the sources below say, not a measurement. They agree with our What survives my winter tool. “Too little winter” means the type needs winter chill the warm zones do not give it. In the next table the freeze dates are measured, and the count of hardy types comes from these judged ranges; its last column counts back from a measured date by a source’s rule.

Zone by zone

Zone by zone: which types fit, and when the freezes fall

Each date is the median across every NOAA station the zone’s ZIP codes cite, 1991–2020 normals. The middle half of those stations falls within the range shown beside it.

Zone Types hardy in the ground Last spring freeze First fall freeze Uncover after
3a 0 of 4 only 10 stations with comparable freeze dates — too few to publish a date
3b 0 of 4 May 18 · middle half May 15 – May 25 September 23 · middle half September 17 – September 26 May 31
4a 0 of 4 May 15 · middle half May 10 – May 21 September 27 · middle half September 22 – September 30 May 29
4b 0 of 4 May 11 · middle half May 5 – May 23 September 30 · middle half September 23 – October 3 May 26
5a 0 of 4 May 9 · middle half May 1 – May 20 October 2 · middle half September 26 – October 7 May 24
5b 0 of 4 May 4 · middle half April 27 – May 15 October 8 · middle half October 1 – October 14 May 19
6a 0 of 4 May 1 · middle half April 24 – May 9 October 14 · middle half October 5 – October 20 May 16
6b 0 of 4 April 25 · middle half April 17 – May 3 October 20 · middle half October 11 – October 24 May 11
7a 1 of 4 April 19 · middle half April 11 – April 27 October 23 · middle half October 17 – October 28 May 5
7b 2 of 4 April 8 · middle half April 3 – April 16 October 30 · middle half October 25 – November 3 April 25
8a 3 of 4 March 30 · middle half March 25 – April 5 November 5 · middle half November 1 – November 10 April 16
8b 3 of 4 March 20 · middle half March 13 – March 29 November 12 · middle half November 7 – November 18 April 8
9a 4 of 4 March 5 · middle half February 24 – March 15 November 24 · middle half November 18 – December 2 not needed: every type is rated hardy here
9b 4 of 4 February 12 · middle half January 30 – February 25 December 8 · middle half December 1 – December 17 not needed: every type is rated hardy here
10a 4 of 4 107 of 190 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from
10b 4 of 4 70 of 79 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from
11a 4 of 4 34 of 34 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from
11b 4 of 4 12 of 12 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from

“Types hardy in the ground” is a judgement, from the type table above. The freeze dates are measured. “Uncover after” is the date the last spring freeze falls before in nine years of ten (NOAA), since Texas A&M AgriLife and Rutgers take winter protection off once the risk of spring frost has passed.

A zone does not tell you your own dates. Inside a single zone the median last spring freeze still varies by 34 days from station to station, so the box below gives the dates of the NOAA station nearest your ZIP code.

Your ZIP code

Your ZIP, your answer

Enter your ZIP code to see your USDA zone, how many of the 4 types on this page live through that zone’s winter and when its freezes fall, read from the table on this page, and the freeze dates of the NOAA station nearest you.

Works for all 40,502 US ZIP codes. Freeze dates need a NOAA station within 100 km; where there is none, the page says so rather than estimating one. Your ZIP code stays in your browser: the page downloads the file of ZIP codes that share its first three digits and looks yours up there. It is not stored or tracked.

Your answer appears here.

Full details for any ZIP code: ZIP code zone finder.

Where figs grow, and which ones

Clemson’s Home & Garden Information Center says figs do best in the Sandhills and Coastal Plain of South Carolina and can be grown with care in the Piedmont and mountains, against the south side of a building in colder areas. NC State Extension’s plant toolbox rates the common fig for zones 7a to 10b.

Grow only the common fig. Clemson, Texas A&M AgriLife and the University of Arkansas all say the common fig sets fruit without pollination, while other kinds need a small wasp that does not live here. Clemson says a fig that never sets a good crop may be one of those, and that the cure is a recommended variety.

Texas A&M AgriLife names three standard figs for the South: ‘Celeste’, which appears to be the most cold hardy fig evaluated in Texas; ‘Texas Everbearing’, also sold as ‘Brown Turkey’, less hardy than ‘Celeste’ but a reliable producer that bears a fair crop on new growth after a hard freeze; and ‘Alma’, very frost sensitive and best grown no more than 200 miles from the Gulf. It suggests ‘LSU Purple’, ‘Blue Giant’, ‘Bournabat’ and ‘Lemon’ for trial.

The University of Arkansas says ‘Celeste’ is the most cold hardy fig grown there but does not rebound as quickly from winter damage or heavy pruning, while ‘Brown Turkey’ tends to bear even after winter damage. Rutgers Master Gardeners in New Jersey name ‘Brown Turkey’, ‘Celeste’ and ‘Hardy Chicago’ as cold-hardy choices.

Look at the eye. Texas A&M AgriLife and the University of Arkansas say a fig with a closed eye, like ‘Celeste’, keeps out the dried fruit beetle and the rain that makes fruit sour.

Planting

Plant while the tree is dormant. Clemson plants in fall or early winter in warm areas, and in the mountains and Piedmont in spring after the danger of hard winter freezes. Texas A&M AgriLife plants dormant rooted cuttings in late winter or early spring, 2 to 3 inches deeper than they grew in the nursery, and no closer than 16 feet apart. The University of Arkansas plants from late winter through late spring, so the tree is established before its first winter.

Texas A&M AgriLife plants in full sun, often on the south or east side of a building, and says figs have shallow roots that are sensitive to drought. It does not fertilize at planting and cuts the dormant trunk back by about a third. Clemson gives figs about an inch of water a week.

Getting a fig through a cold winter

Where the type table above rates no fig as hardy, or only ‘Celeste’, a fig needs help in winter. The University of Arkansas says even a fig frozen to the ground usually sprouts again from the roots and can bear that year, because figs fruit on new growth. Texas A&M AgriLife says some varieties bear on the current season’s growth after being frozen back, and others return to production the next year.

Rutgers Master Gardeners in New Jersey give four ways: grow the fig in a large pot, at least 15 gallons, and move it into a garage or other cool shelter; prune it, tie the branches together and wrap it in burlap, then heavy brown paper, then tar paper, with soil mounded around the base; bend the branches down and bury them in a trench; or build a wire cage around it and fill it with leaves, hay or straw, with a tarp over the top. They say not to wrap in plastic, which traps moisture.

Rutgers puts the protection on after the leaves have fallen and the plant is dormant, around Thanksgiving in many areas. NC State’s plant toolbox mulches the roots, especially in the fall, to protect the plant through winter. Texas A&M AgriLife mounds hay 2 to 3 feet up mature trees and cages young ones with leaves or hay, and waters the trees thoroughly a few days before a hard freeze in a dry fall or winter.

Take it off in spring. Texas A&M AgriLife removes the cages after the risk of spring frost has passed, and Rutgers removes winter protection after the danger of frost. The table above gives that date for each zone where some fig is not rated hardy.

Supplies

Supplies the sources mention

Each link opens an Amazon search for a plain kind of product, not one we picked. We have not tested these, and we do not rank them.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra and changes nothing on this page: the dates are NOAA’s and the advice is the extension services’. Affiliate disclosure

Pruning

Clemson prunes in winter, after the coldest weather and before growth starts, and grows figs as a bush in the Piedmont. Texas A&M AgriLife grows them as multi-trunked plants in the cooler parts of Texas; after a tree is frozen to the ground, it keeps five or six strong new shoots once they are about 2 feet high.

Go easy on ‘Celeste’. Texas A&M AgriLife says heavy pruning of mature trees reduces the crop, and the University of Arkansas says severe late-winter pruning of ‘Celeste’ greatly limits that season’s fruit.

Harvest

Clemson says figs can bear two crops: a breba crop in early summer on last year’s wood, and the main crop in mid to late summer on new growth. The University of Arkansas says the breba crop rarely survives the winter in Arkansas, so the new-growth crop is the one harvested there. Texas A&M AgriLife says ‘Celeste’ is often picked in mid to late June and ‘Texas Everbearing’ ripens from June through August.

Figs must ripen on the tree and spoil quickly, the University of Arkansas and Texas A&M AgriLife say, so pick often, sometimes daily. The University of Arkansas says the white sap can irritate sensitive skin, so wear gloves to pick.

Common problems

Fruit that will not ripen is the usual complaint. Clemson lists the causes in order: young, vigorous plants that may take three or four years to bear, so stop fertilizing a vigorous one; hot, dry spells before ripening, eased by mulch and water; ‘Celeste’ dropping fruit in hot weather; root-knot nematodes; and the rare fig that needs a wasp.

Clemson says root-knot nematodes are the main pest of figs in the Sandhills and Coastal Plain and that an infected tree cannot be cured, so plant away from old garden sites. Texas A&M AgriLife calls fig rust the greatest disease threat in Texas, worse in rainy seasons, and rakes up the fallen leaves. Clemson says souring is spread by insects through an open eye.

Birds, squirrels and raccoons like figs as much as people do, the University of Arkansas says; bird netting can help, and so does picking often.

Common mistakes

We found no Louisiana or Florida source on figs that we read for this page. The Southern advice here is Clemson’s, Texas A&M AgriLife’s and the University of Arkansas’s, and the cold-zone advice is Rutgers Master Gardeners’ and NC State’s.

Questions

What is the most cold-hardy fig?
Texas A&M AgriLife says ‘Celeste’ appears to be the most cold hardy fig evaluated in Texas, and the University of Arkansas agrees. ‘Brown Turkey’ is less hardy but bears more readily after winter damage.
Can I grow a fig in a cold zone?
With protection. Rutgers Master Gardeners in New Jersey grow figs in large pots moved indoors for winter, or wrap them in burlap and paper with soil mounded at the base, or cage them and fill the cage with leaves.
When should I unwrap my fig tree?
After the risk of spring frost has passed, as Texas A&M AgriLife and Rutgers both say. The table on this page dates that for your zone from NOAA records.
Why won’t my figs ripen?
Clemson says the commonest reasons are a young, vigorous plant, hot dry weather before ripening, hot-weather fruit drop in ‘Celeste’, and root-knot nematodes.
Do fig trees need a pollinator?
Not the common fig. Clemson, Texas A&M AgriLife and the University of Arkansas say it sets fruit without pollination.

Sources

Freeze dates on this page are NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, for every station the ZIP codes in each zone cite. Zones are the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. The type table is a judgement, as labelled above. Growing advice is quoted from the extension publications below, each written for its own area.

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Published October 28, 2026

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