Just put in two little Chicago Fig trees last fall. I hope this winter isn't too hard on them. Maybe I should have kept them in pots indoors for a while. Oh well, I did mulch them high with straw and sprayed them with "WiltPruf". Now I just need to wait and see.

Saw Osborne figs here for a good price:

http://www.raintreenursery.com...

I've found a winter home for my figs. Next year, after I plant them in containers that hold about 2 cu ft of soil, I can move them with the tractor to my neighbor's greenhouse, a big one with plenty of head room. I'll try a few there, but will keep the rest in my own greenhouse, just in case. The neighbor's greenhouse has a double layer of plastic but won't be heated.

They should make it in great shape Mary. The starts you got from me will produce on new wood, so you can prune them to keep them on the small side.

Do the Chicago Figs need to be more protected than mulch to be safe outside?

Everything I've read about them says to just mulch heavy for winter protection. If they can make it through a Chicago winter they should be hardy in your Teri.
It may die back to the roots and stub, but will send up all new foliage as soon as your growing season begins.
The important thing is to get it started in the ground as soon as you can safely plant in the spring. That will give it time to grow a nice healthy root system before your winter weather arrives.

Thanks Lynn. I had them in pots for most of the summer, then I put it into the ground in late summer. Hope the roots were strong enough to take its first winter outside.

We will soon know. Even if the above ground parts die, it may still come back from the roots.

there are a lot of replies here so forgive me if this has already been addressed. I am wondering if there are any figs that will survive to -5 or so, and if they need a pollinator to produce or will just one tree work? Looking at the pics, this almost looks more like a large shrub than a tree really? Is the fruit safe for chickens to eat if they get ahold of it?

The Chicago hardy fig should survive your zone , maybe others .
And figs will not hurt chickens , I would guess the leaves should be OK too . I dry the fallen leaves from my potted trees and feed to my chinchilla.

Agreed. Zone 5 perhaps with some protection should be okay. I don't know about this winter though - all bets are off for this kind of weather.

oh cool, if chinchillas can eat them, probably rabbits can too! I want some rabbits. maybe someday!
I noticed our Lowes had figs last year but I didn't even give them a glance. I just assumed they were 'tropical'. I may look for them this year, if they are not too pricey. I don't think they were very big either.

Where winters with lots of cold weather are experienced, they do stay more like a shrub instead of a tree. Even in winters like the one this year, as Tee said in her above post, if mulched heavily they should at least come back from the roots.
Plant your new fig early in your growing season to give it plenty of time to make a healthy root system before winter arrives. If buying from Lowes check to see what variety they are selling.
It is well worth giving it a try.