Thanks to Bob’s original very generous offer, Reservoir is the family favorite. On a good year I very slightly prefer Chicago Hardy over Reservoir. My girls and my wife all prefer Reservoir on those years. This year Reservoir was better than CH to me. In SW Missouri I’ve found that the extra heat from an unheated greenhouse makes all tbe difference in the world on growth and production. I need to be more relentless on summer pruning in that greenhouse. I’ve sent rooted cuttings of Res to several friends and even got some figs off of one planted behind the church I attend. We ate dozens off of the one in my greenhouse. Unless one of the newer fig varieties I’ve planted just blows my whole family away on taste and production Res will always have a home in my greenhouse.
Wow! So glad to hear there is a possibility of figs growing outside in SW Mo.!!! I was hoping there might be, but feared the worst!
This is the “southest” and “eastest” we’ve ever lived (having moved from Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, etc. to finally here.) So I’m excited to try some of the more warmth and wet loving plants/trees, but I have zero familiarity with any of this!!
Reservoir, is the thing to try. Okay! I’ll have to keep an eye out for that!! 
And note taken, a greenhouse will help. That makes sense… we’ll have to see what can be done about that!!
In absence of a greenhouse, would you suggest planting on the south side of a building for more warmth, or the north to hold off on potential early growth/frost damage in spring?
Would love to know! <3
Yes, planting near a south-facing wall in full sun is ideal unless it’s a super windy exposure. You can pick from a few winter hardy fig varieties you can grow in the ground in 6B. If I were in your shoes I’d start with Takoma Violet or Malta Black, Green Ischia, LSU Improved Celeste and Florea. 4 different tastes. Or if starting with just two I’d pick Takoma Violet and Improved Celeste and learn the ropes from there.
In a really cold winter you might get some top die-back to the ground but the varieties I listed can come back from the roots and fruit the same year.
That is hugely encouraging to hear!
Can you tell me which varieties have been proven to do well in 6B?
I’ve only heard of Chicago as a possibility, and now Resevoir from this thread. I’m not in “fig knowledgable” circles anywhere else, it seems!!
The varieties I listed will do well for you in 6B. I like their taste better than Chicago Hardy but it’s fine to grow too. If you post here in the Trading Post section am pretty sure members will mail you cuttings you can root.
Oooo!!! Thanks!
That didn’t seem to show up in the email’ed version I received… thanks for including those!!
Now I’ll have to keep an eye out for where to find those lovely little varieties! 
oh is there any way to get reservoir cutting still? I’ve wanted to try one of these for so long
Improved Celeste is widely available as a plant on the internet from major nurseries. Takoma Violet you can buy as a plant from Off The Beaten Path Nursery in Lancaster, PA- they ship and Big Bill there is a great guy; see their website and get on his mailing list. Note: there’s a difference between “Celeste” and “Improved Celeste” sometimes called “LSU Improved Celeste.” You want either of the last two names. Just starting out I recommend buying plants, not cuttings. Later on you can learn how to root cuttings but plants will save you a couple years.
Yes, microclimate is very important here. Whatever lined up last year to keep it from freezing back to the ground at the church building didn’t do as well this year. It didnt freeze all the way to the ground, but it did freeze back to the main trunk a few inches from the ground, which isn’t much better. If you’ve got room in an unheated garage loads of people do well with potted figs too, which is easier for most than building a greenhouse to keep them in ground. It’s really nice to be able to share fresh figs with friends and family when very few people have access to them around here. Good luck!
My 2nd year Reservoir is among the first Mt. Etna figs to send out figlets. It is early this time of the year.
I would still like a cutting from one of these. I rooted a good handful of sticks over winter and believe I can get one to go.
I have an improved Celeste in a pot that lost almost all but a tiny bit of root after a few cold nights, I do not trust those outdoors here. only CH with protection. I would like to try one of these up to size, potted over a few years, take cuttings to root for back up, then trial it against my house wall in south sun/protected.
This thread has been years. I’m only able to root two plants with one still limping this year. And this is still a 2nd year plant.
If you still can’t get hold of any cuttings, contact me in early winter. I’ll see what I can do.
will do, and much appreciated.
I finally ripened my first Reservoir fig. Never too late.
This is clearly a Mt. Etna fig. It is one of earliest Mt. Etna fig that sent figlets, in late May or early June in zone 6. It took close to 3 months or 88 days to ripen figs. I think due to the weather, figs take one extra week to ripen figs in general. So they takes about 85 days to ripen figs from figlets. That is typical of any Mt. Etna figs.
I got cuttings from @jcguarneri . I’ll try to root one and would like to put it in ground.
Not sure if the weather or what, figs tend to be bigger this year.
@BobVance God find.
That’s great! Mine seems to be a bit behind the CH it’s next to, but CH also has a two year head start, so it got going faster in the spring. I’m hoping to get ripe figs mid-late September.
The Boston-12 dropped all figs for me. Do not know why. Same with Brooklyn White. They behave like Smyrna figs.
Yeah, I have yet to get figs off of B-12 as well. Hopefully next year.
I am fine just more busy .
No I do not have this.