Generally — Most Areas
fig (zones 6-10) suits most of Ohio (5b-7a) — zones 6-7 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Fig in Ohio — the short answer
Fig in Ohio: hardy in zones 6–10, full sun.
- Plant zones
- 6-10
- Not verified — NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox lists zones 7a–10b
- Ohio zones
- 5b-7a
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Apr 5 - Apr 13 – Oct 31 - Nov 6
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 182 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- To first harvest
- ~2 years
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Ohio spans zones 5b-7a, but your yard sits in exactly one — and slope, tree cover, and cold-air pockets nudge it further. Enter your address and we'll score fig against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your parcel report in seconds — read in full free for your first 14 days
Ohio is not one climate
Ohio’s winter-low ladder runs across 88 counties, from zone 6 in Allen County to zone 7 in Scioto County. That is 10°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between fig overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 88 counties runs 6–6.5 zones, with a median of 6.5 zones — a 1-zone span end to end.
Measured across 88 Ohio counties. USDA PHZM 2023, per county. Quartiles are order statistics — every figure shown is a value a real county recorded, not an interpolation. Your own site sits somewhere inside this range; a parcel report resolves where.
Where in Ohio Fits Best
Even within Ohio's zones 5b-7a, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for fig (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Fig Needs
- USDA Zones: 6-10
- Sun: Full SunWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Mature size: 15 ft tallWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Picking window: ~60 days of harvestWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Drought tolerance: HighWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Ohio Has
- USDA Zones: 5b-7a
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 5 - Apr 13
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 31 - Nov 6
- Annual Rainfall: 34-42 inches
- Common Soils: Glacial till, Clay loam, Silt loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 6-10)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Fig in Ohio
The frost window
Across Ohio, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 5 and Apr 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 31 and Nov 6 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 201-day window you can count on — up to 215 days on a mild site in a kind year. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost, so tender transplants usually wait another 2-3 weeks.
Winter standing
Ohio runs as cold as USDA zone 5, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for fig, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether fig is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Ohio; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Geauga County, not the statewide average.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: Growable Ground Plant Database — frost-free days from FAO ECOCROP, days to harvest from university Extension production guides, and growing-degree-day and chill-hour minimums that are compilation estimates rather than published figures. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says fig survives winter in part of Ohio, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Growing degree days
Fig needs ~2800 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. The state median runs ~2921 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Ohio sits right at the threshold — pay attention to siting and microclimate.
Chill hours
Fig requires ~200 chill hours (32-45°F dormancy window). Ohio typically banks ~2500 chill hours per winter (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), which keeps this plant on track.
GDD and chill-hour figures are computed from PRISM 1991-2020 monthly climate normals; frost-free days from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Each is the state median across its counties (P25/P75 span the within-state spread). Hardiness-zone range is USDA PHZM 2023.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Fig tolerates a wide pH range (pH 4.3-8.6) — 4.3 units, acid ground through alkaline — so soil acidity is rarely what limits it in Ohio. A soil test is still worth having, but for what else it tells you about this site, not to clear this plant. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Ohio soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Ohio site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, a raised bed lifts the roots above wet ground, or work in compost. Drainage need: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Your land, not the state average
SSURGO maps about 28.6% of Ohio as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and the class flips parcel to parcel. Fig tolerates drought well, so wet feet — not dry spells — is its real risk here — your soil map unit, not the state average, is the real answer.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH requirements: FAO ECOCROP and USDA PLANTS, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Drainage: FAO ECOCROP, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Ohio soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant fig for food
Anything you grow to eat takes up what is in the ground it grows in, so what is on record near you is worth knowing before fig goes in. What follows is Ohio’s documented federal record at state scale — a screening signal, not a soil test, and not a statement about any one lot.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Ohio — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Ohio — 31,559 documented sites across 7 of the 8 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 669 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Ohio carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds of imported, lab-tested soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Sources Checked
across Ohio
Severity Distribution
across Ohio
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Ohio, Toxics Release Inventory runs higher than the national average — 4,234 sites across Ohio. That's not a problem with your land — it's information about it.
Toxics Release Inventory: TRI facilities report annual chemical releases to air, water, and land.
Check prevailing wind direction — downwind parcels face higher exposure than upwind or crosswind locations.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 950K documented sites tracked nationwide across 8 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Fig in Ohio
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Ohio growers also need to think about:
Heavy clay soils across much of northern Ohio require amendment for drainage
Variable spring weather with late frost risk through mid-May
Japanese beetles and tomato hornworms are common garden pests
Wet springs can delay planting and promote root rot
Growing fig here specifically
Fig roots run deep and prefer pH 4.3–8.6, but drainage comes first here: SSURGO maps about 28.6% of Ohio as poorly or somewhat-poorly drained, and wet ground rots its crown before pH ever matters.
Plant fig on a raised, gravel-amended berm so water drains fast and the crown stays dry. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Ohio grower, not just fig — is covered on the Ohio growing guide.
Timing shifts within Ohio
Ohio isn't one climate. In Geauga County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 22 — roughly 13 days later than the recorded state median — so plant fig to your county's window, not the statewide date.
County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Where in Ohio Fig Is Zone-Hardy
Fig is rated for USDA zones 6–10. Every one of Ohio’s 88 counties sits inside that band — from Allen County at zone 6a to Scioto County at zone 7a — so winter cold is not what decides this plant anywhere in the state. What is left to vary is your own parcel: slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from the county figure.
Across those 88 counties Ohio’s winter-low ladder runs from zone 6a in Allen County to zone 7a in Scioto County — 1 USDA zone of spread, which is 10°F between the two counties’ average coldest night of the year. That is why a statewide hardiness answer is where you start and not where you finish.
The planting window moves with it. Geauga County holds its last hard freeze (28°F) until about Apr 22, while Cuyahoga County is clear by Mar 30 — 23 days apart. Set fig out on your county’s date, not the state’s.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. County last-freeze dates: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F killing freeze — earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost". Fig’s zone 6–10 band: Not verified — NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox lists zones 7a–10b. A parcel report resolves your address’s own zone and frost dates rather than its county’s.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Fig draws native bees (low value). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, fig can only work that bloom inside Ohio's frost window — roughly 208 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Apr 5 - Apr 13) and closing at the first (Oct 31 - Nov 6), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Pollinator value: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Good to Know Before You Plant Fig
Fig is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (leaves, sap) at a mild level. (Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.) Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear.
Ohio Cooperative Extension
For Ohio-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for fig, the canonical source is Ohio State University Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Fig native to Ohio?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Fig as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Ohio's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Ohio natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Ohio growing guide lists plants that USDA PLANTS records growing in Ohio and that Kew and NatureServe Explorer both list in its native range, leaving out any that NatureServe flags as exotic there or that our audit holds.
State records: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution data (presence, not state-level nativity), accessed 2026-10-19.
Will Fig set seed in Ohio?
Wild figs need a specialized fig wasp to fruit, but the cultivars home gardeners grow — Celeste, Brown Turkey, Chicago Hardy and other common types — are self-fruiting (parthenocarpic) and set figs with no wasp at all. Only Smyrna and San Pedro types (such as Calimyrna) need the wasp or hand-pollination, so a common-type fig will fruit here on its own.
Pollinator relationship: UF/IFAS Extension, NC State Extension.
Common Questions About Growing Fig in Ohio
When can I plant Fig in Ohio?
Ohio's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Apr 5 and Apr 13, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 31 and Nov 6 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Fig, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Ohio and publishes no fall establishment date for it — check its hardiness range against your own zone before treating it as a permanent planting.
What hardiness zone is Fig grown in across Ohio?
Ohio spans USDA hardiness zones 5b-7a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Fig carries a range of zones 6-10, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Ohio site have?
A typical Ohio site sees ~208 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Fig needs 120+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Geauga, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Fig native to Ohio?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Fig as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Ohio's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Ohio natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Will Fig set seed in Ohio?
Wild figs need a specialized fig wasp to fruit, but the cultivars home gardeners grow — Celeste, Brown Turkey, Chicago Hardy and other common types — are self-fruiting (parthenocarpic) and set figs with no wasp at all. Only Smyrna and San Pedro types (such as Calimyrna) need the wasp or hand-pollination, so a common-type fig will fruit here on its own.
How should I amend the soil for Fig in Ohio?
Fig tolerates pH 4.3-8.6 and well (dry spells) drainage. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. That is a 4.3-unit span, acid ground through alkaline, so pH is rarely what limits this plant on a Ohio site — amend for drainage and organic matter first.
Will Fig actually grow on my specific land in Ohio?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores fig against your address's mapped soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in Ohio
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores fig against your land's mapped soil, modelled sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Ohio fig averages can't show:
We read public map data around Ohio — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Ohio fig average
Explore More
Growing guides for fig
Explore Ohio county by county
Ohio carries 88 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for fig there:
Where else fig grows
Fig's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Ohio in winter climate where it also has a page, plus the far ends of its range. Each one re-answers the question with that state's own record.
More to grow in Ohio
Ohio has a growing page for 889 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
Analysis by the Growable Ground research team, grounded in USDA PLANTS, USDA NRCS SSURGO, NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020), and named Cooperative Extension sources. How we know →
Cite this dataset
Kirchick, M. (2026). Growable Ground Plant Database [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21435643
Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21435643
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