Bethel Grove Gardens · Variety reference
Chicago Hardy
Biological type: Common (persistent)
Pollination: Unknown
Cutting reference$8.00
One-gallon reference$28.00
Reference estimates, not sale offers or mature-tree appraisals. Price evidence date not recorded.
No verified photograph yet
Fruit & growing traits
- Biological type
- Common (persistent)
- Crop habit
- Main; some breba
- Main crop ripening
- Early
- Flavor profile
- Berry
- Fruit size
- Small
- Skin color
- Purple-black
- Pulp color
- Deep red
- Hardiness / climate notes
- Among hardiest common figs (recovery from ~0°F cited)
Reported growth habit: Unknown
Origins & names
- Geographic origin
- Italy (Etna / S. Italy) via Chicago immigrant gardens
- Possible origin
- Italy / USA
- Synonyms / alternate names
- Hardy Chicago; Bensonhurst Purple; Malta Black (one usage); Bethlehem Black (one usage)
- Same or nearly the same
- Etna family: Azores Dark, Norella, Savanac Noire, San Donato di Ninea, Takoma Violet, St. Rita + 100 informal names. Family, not one tree.
- Popular close brother
- Unknown / not recorded
- Known parentage
- Traditional Italian landrace family
- Reference year
- 1920
- First year (estimate)
- S. Italian village figs; Chicago immigrant gardens 20th c.
- What the year means
- Family of old Italian clones. 'Chicago Hardy' names a US immigrant source, not the original seedling year.
Evidence & reference values
- Confidence
- Established collector type; internal synonymy is a family
- Key sources
- FigBoss; ChicagoFigs; Garden.org
- Condit page
- Unknown / not recorded
- Notes
- Workhorse for cold/humid US. | Price: Amazon/HD Chicago 1-gal $28–40; Raintree $31; Fig Boss 3-cut $35
- Commonality
- Super common
- Market availability
- Big box
Imported catalog record; not individually reviewed. Separate names do not necessarily establish distinct genotypes.