You can grow some in ground with winter protection. I have mine in pots and put them in the unheated basement for the winter, I'm afraid to take the risk of losing them, I am in zone 5. Hardy Chicago, Atreano, Green Ishia, and Italian Honey ripen earlier and should do well here in upstate ny.
There are more varieties that should do well but I know less about them. The ones I have we put outside in mid -April this year and they are doing well.
Terry

You can grow some in ground with winter protection. I have mine in pots and put them in the unheated basement for the winter, I'm afraid to take the risk of losing them, I am in zone 5. Hardy Chicago, Atreano, Green Ishia, and Italian Honey ripen earlier and should do well here in upstate ny.
There are more varieties that should do well but I know less about them. The ones I have we put outside in mid -April this year and they are doing well.
Terry

Winter protection (insulation) for in-ground fig plants can be a difficult job to repeat every year and more so if more than a couple of plants. It is not impossible but risky and tedious.
I am also in Zone 5a and keep my potted plants in a cold store in the basement and some in the garage wich I try to keep above freezing all winter long. I have stopped imagining having in-ground fig plant.
Once you decide to use pots, you can choose any variety, preferably early ripening type such as Hardy Chicago, Celest, Natalina and Marseilles VS Black will be good choices.

Zone 5 location? As far as is known, there are only two figs that might end up being proven to grow well in a zone 5 location. They are Nero 600M, and LaRadek's English Brown turkey.

Zone 5b Han's English Brown Turkey, Some strains of Abruzzi, Marseilles Black VS, Danny's Delight, Florea.

6a Hardy Chicago? Sal's EL

6b Hardy Hartford, Bayernfeige Violleta.

7a Hundreds if not more

When one is talking about cold climate, winter hardy figs, one has to remember that it's not only the cold that kills figs in the north. You also will need a fig that is resistant to late spring frost, and ripens before the fall rains spoil the fruit.

Right now there are no perfect figs for the north. They all have draw backs. But, the fig that comes the closest to what is needed for a old climate, short season growing area, is Marseilles Black VS.

Marseilles Black is rapidly becoming the gold standard for cold climates, with a short growing season. It is rapidly taking the place of old gold standards for the north. Such as Hardy Chicago, and Sal's EL.

We sell more Marseilles Black VS, then any other cold climate fig.

Bob - Connecticut - zone 5b/6a

Hi, lovetogarden:

If you plant a fig tree in the ground, be prepared to winterize it
during the winter months every year!

My zone is 5 or 6? I have 1 in-ground fig tree (maybe a Kadota), it was indoored for several years previously.
It was moved to the ground last summer. The roots were getting too heavy for me to move the pot in and out of the house. As I had no prior experience of winterization, last year was a first try of that.
I DO NOT have the strength and no one to help me to bury my 3 and a half feet tall fig tree, so:

By myself, I put a lot of dried leaves, a wire cage, old carpet and 1 large cardboard box for the tree. I am sure that I gave my fig tree enough insulation, but the top branches of the tree died of mold. I assume this is due to I did not keep the tree dry (not covering the whole thing with a plastic cover, melted snow went into the tree).

Well, at least it is NOT DEAD and growing well again!
Now my tree is about 1 foot high with lots of new growth at the base of the tree.

What I`ve learned it is tricky to winterize the fig tree when the weather is not stable-1 day cold, then the next day is hot!
Moisture builds up in the tree when it is insulated that can cause mold.

This coming winter I will do the winterization in several steps.

To put the insulation up, I will do it in 2 steps:
In November, I will put the initial insulation. I will put in leaves but not too much. Then around December 21 when the temperature drops significantly, I will put more insulation for the tree and this time I will make sure I put a plastic sheet to cover the whole thing.

To remove the insulation when Spring is coming, I will do this in a 2 steps also. Because April is still not warm enough to uncover the fig tree, I would not want to remove the insulation and then have an early frost kill my fragile, beloved fig tree!
It is much safer to remove the insulation in the beginning of May!

Maybe after reading my post will convince you enough to put your fig tree(s) into a pot and do the shuffle for the winter months!

Thanx fignewbies for all the info. Unfortunately, like I stated in my initial post, I'm too old to be dragging a huge pot back and forth. Also, I'm not looking for a tree but a shrub. I was hoping to plant it in the ground, round up all the stems with rope in the fall, then cover the whole thing with blankets and tarps. I wouldn't be able to do that with a tree.

lovetogorden
A fig tree in Zone 4 will eventually becomes a bush/shrub like anyway when some harsh winter it dies down to the ground level.
Also, there are varying levels of death to the ground in terms of damage to the root system.
Simply put, a mildly harsh winter may kill all or some of the tiny feeder roots which can regenerate in the spring and the plant sending up shoots. A deep freeze in harsh winter can kill the feeder roots as well as some of the secondary roots that connect the feeder roots to the fat roots of the plant. In such cases the plant may take much longer to show sign of life. An extremely harsh winter kills all the root system making it hopeless to wait for recovery.

I agree with Ottawan z5a. If you don't want to lug your cherished figs in and out of an attached unheated structure and you live in zone 6a or colder, you need to plant a fig cultivar that will die to the ground but fruit on new wood. The only figs I know of first hand are the Marseilles Blk VS, Marseilles White and Hardy Chicago. I lug a hundred plus figs in and out of an attached but unheated structure each year.

To Ottawan z5a's point, if you are going to plant a fig in the ground in zone 6a or colder I recommend the following:
1. Plant a tree at least two years old.
2. Plant the tree extra deep. Meaning beyond the crown since the fig trunk will develop roots from the trunk unlike other deciduous trees.

I hope I helped
Vinnie