I read in a gardening book that these two fig varieties are hardy to zone 5...this cannot be correct, can it? The hardiest fig tree at it's minimum must be Zone 7a
To answer your question, I would say this is ''half correct''. The Brown Turkey, Celeste and other varieties can survive in Zone 5 under specific conditions. These conditions entail that you are going to warp the tree or burry it in the ground during winter. I met an Italian couple who actually burry their tree every year since many year. If you are interested see this link and read the article on Rosa and Dominique.
The question was: Are they hardy to zone 5. You could grow them in a green house at the north pole. That does not make them hardy at the north pole.
I understand your point but a Citrus tree would not survive in a Zone 5 even if it is buried or wrapped.
I understand this because citrus has a maximum hardiness of -4 degrees celcius...also it is not decidious...if it's leaves were dropped when dormant it would be a different story. Frost, ice and snow is what damages "evergreen" trees because their leaves don't drop and the tree is taking the abuse.
Chicago Hardy fig Hardy Chicago - Small to medium fruit with light brown to violet skin and strawberry pink pulp. Small eye. Pyriform with long slender neck. Excellent flavor and very hardy. Resembles Brown Turkey. It does well in colder areas and is quite hardy as far as figs trees are concerned. Good info site for figs http://nafex.org/figs.htm Cheers
