Citrus outdoors in the Deux-Sèvres (79): which ones withstand the cold?

In the Deux-Sèvres, the winter cold increases gently from south to north. One winter in ten, it falls to about −10 °C around Niort, −11 °C in the Mellois and the Bressuire bocage, and −12 °C in the Gâtine and the Thouarsais.

We went through thirty winters of Météo-France records, from 1996 to 2026, and compared them with the hardiness of each of our plants. Choose your area below. You will find:

  • the citrus trees that spend the winter outdoors without protection;
  • those that need a fleece on frosty nights;
  • those that stay in a pot.

The lists are kept up to date: only the plants available today are shown with a photo.

Charente (16): −11 °C one winter in tenCharente-Maritime (17): −9 °C one winter in tenDordogne (24): −12 °C one winter in tenGironde (33): −10 °C one winter in tenIlle-et-Vilaine (35): −8 °C one winter in tenIndre (36): −13 °C one winter in tenIndre-et-Loire (37): −13 °C one winter in tenLoir-et-Cher (41): −13 °C one winter in tenLoire-Atlantique (44): −9 °C one winter in tenMaine-et-Loire (49): −11 °C one winter in tenSarthe (72): −12 °C one winter in tenDeux-Sèvres (79): −12 °C one winter in tenVendée (85): −10 °C one winter in tenVienne (86): −12 °C one winter in tenHaute-Vienne (87): −12 °C one winter in ten161724333536374144497279858687
  • −5 °C or milder
  • −6 to −7 °C
  • −8 to −9 °C
  • −10 to −11 °C
  • −12 to −13 °C
  • −14 to −15 °C
  • −16 to −17 °C
  • −18 to −19 °C
  • −20 °C and colder

Colour: the cold of one winter in ten, on the plain. Click on a neighbouring département to see its page. Map of the whole of France.

Choose your area:

−10 °Cone winter in ten

Niort, Marais Poitevin and the Sèvre valley

Niort, Chauray, Aiffres, Échiré, Coulon, Mauzé-sur-le-Mignon, Saint-Maixent-l'École, Champdeniers See the citrus trees for this area

The mildest part of the département: −10 °C one winter in ten, −6 °C in an ordinary winter. Niort stays at −10.5 °C; in the Marais Poitevin, Prin-Deyrançon falls to −11.7 °C, because cold air spreads out over this low-lying land. Satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter outdoors here; orange trees and clementines with a fleece on frosty nights, against a south-facing wall. Lemon trees stay in pots. The soil, silty, often clay and chalky, calls for a mound where it is heavy.

−10 °Cone winter in ten
−6 °Can ordinary winter
−14 °Crecord, 9 February 2012
Prin-Deyrançon

The soil of the area and the rootstock

According to the soil map, this area mostly has shallow chalky soils, ordinary brown soils and chalky soils. In practice, the soil is often chalky, clayey and silty.

Rootstocks to favour: FA5, then Poncirus. Poncirus only if the active lime stays below about 5% (soil analysis).

Your plot may be different. Look at the Géoportail soil map (in French) around your home, then refine with our 5-step test.

In open ground, without protection

They withstand −10 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.

See all 32 available plants that withstand −10 °C

Sold out for now: 27 other plants

On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Ambersweet, Auline, Bendizao Mandarin, Corsican Mountain Orange, Hana Yuzu, Harumi, Jabara, Juanita Mandarin, Kino Kuni Mikakukishu Mandarin, Meiwa Kumquat, Minneola, Nameiwa Kumquat, Rio Red Grapefruit, Sanbokan, Satsuma China S-3, Satsuma Dobashi Beni, Satsuma Iwasaki, Satsuma Kowano, Satsuma Louisiana, Satsuma Miho, Satsuma Pucheng, Satsuma Saigon, Satsuma Waze, Setubalense Mandarin, Shunkokan, Thornless Yuzu, Yuzu.

In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights

They withstand −7 °C. A winter fleece put on at each frost and removed as soon as the frost stops, and a sheltered spot against a south-facing wall.

See all 33 available plants that withstand −7 °C

Sold out for now: 19 other plants

On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Dom Joao Orange, Fragola Orange, Haruka, Hassaku, Hyuganatsu, Iyo Mikan Tangor, Mandalate Mandarin, Mapo Tangelo, Moro Orange, Natsudaidai, Ota 38 Tangor, Salustiana Orange, Sciara x Clem Blood Tangor, Seminole, US SuperNa, Ugli, Vaniglia Sanguigno Orange, Wekiwa Tangelolo, Z194 Ichangensis x Sinensis.

The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter

Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −7 °C): in a large pot, outdoors from spring to autumn and brought into a bright, frost-free room for the winter. All our citrus trees.

−11 °Cone winter in ten

Mellois

Melle, Celles-sur-Belle, Lezay, Chef-Boutonne, Sauzé-Vaussais, Brioux-sur-Boutonne See the citrus trees for this area

The plains of the Mellois, a little colder: −11 °C one winter in ten. Melle stays at −10.3 °C, but Lezay, further east, falls to −12.0 °C. Citranges, yuzus and the hardiest satsumas do without protection here; the other satsumas, kumquats, orange trees and the hardiest clementines need a fleece on frosty nights. Lemon trees and the other clementines stay in pots. The soil is chalky and clay, and sometimes stays wet in winter: plant on a mound.

−11 °Cone winter in ten
−6 °Can ordinary winter
−13.9 °Crecord, 1 March 2005
Melle

The soil of the area and the rootstock

According to the soil map, this area mostly has chalky soils, shallow chalky soils and ordinary brown soils. In practice, the soil is often clayey, silty, chalky and winter-wet.

Rootstocks to favour: Poncirus, then FA5. Poncirus only if the active lime stays below about 5% (soil analysis).

Your plot may be different. Look at the Géoportail soil map (in French) around your home, then refine with our 5-step test.

In open ground, without protection

They withstand −11 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.

See all 19 available plants that withstand −11 °C

Sold out for now: 12 other plants

On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Ambersweet, Auline, Bendizao Mandarin, Hana Yuzu, Satsuma Dobashi Beni, Satsuma Kowano, Satsuma Louisiana, Satsuma Miho, Satsuma Saigon, Satsuma Waze, Thornless Yuzu, Yuzu.

In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights

They withstand −8 °C. A winter fleece put on at each frost and removed as soon as the frost stops, and a sheltered spot against a south-facing wall.

See all 38 available plants that withstand −8 °C

Sold out for now: 31 other plants

On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Corsican Mountain Orange, Dom Joao Orange, Fragola Orange, Haruka, Harumi, Hassaku, Hyuganatsu, Jabara, Juanita Mandarin, Kino Kuni Mikakukishu Mandarin, Mapo Tangelo, Meiwa Kumquat, Minneola, Moro Orange, Nameiwa Kumquat, Natsudaidai, Ota 38 Tangor, Rio Red Grapefruit, Salustiana Orange, Sanbokan, Satsuma China S-3, Satsuma Iwasaki, Satsuma Pucheng, Sciara x Clem Blood Tangor, Seminole, Setubalense Mandarin, Shunkokan, Ugli, Vaniglia Sanguigno Orange, Wekiwa Tangelolo, Z194 Ichangensis x Sinensis.

The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter

Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −8 °C): in a large pot, outdoors from spring to autumn and brought into a bright, frost-free room for the winter. All our citrus trees.

−11 °Cone winter in ten

Bressuire bocage

Bressuire, Nueil-les-Aubiers, Cerizay, Mauléon, Moncoutant, Argentonnay See the citrus trees for this area

The bocage, a country of small fields and hedges, in the north-west, around Bressuire and Mauléon: −11 °C one winter in ten, −7 °C in an ordinary winter. The very severe cold spells stay moderate here: the record does not go beyond −12.1 °C, recorded at Bressuire in January 1997. Citranges, yuzus and the hardiest satsumas spend the winter outdoors; the other satsumas, kumquats, orange trees and the hardiest clementines with a fleece, sheltered by a hedge or a south-facing wall. Lemon trees and the other clementines stay in pots. The soil is silty, sometimes acid.

−11 °Cone winter in ten
−7 °Can ordinary winter
−12.1 °Crecord, 2 January 1997
Bressuire

The soil of the area and the rootstock

According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, silty soils and soils waterlogged part of the year. In practice, the soil is often silty, clayey and acid.

Rootstocks to favour: Poncirus, then FA5.

Your plot may be different. Look at the Géoportail soil map (in French) around your home, then refine with our 5-step test.

In open ground, without protection

They withstand −11 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.

See all 19 available plants that withstand −11 °C

Sold out for now: 12 other plants

On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Ambersweet, Auline, Bendizao Mandarin, Hana Yuzu, Satsuma Dobashi Beni, Satsuma Kowano, Satsuma Louisiana, Satsuma Miho, Satsuma Saigon, Satsuma Waze, Thornless Yuzu, Yuzu.

In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights

They withstand −8 °C. A winter fleece put on at each frost and removed as soon as the frost stops, and a sheltered spot against a south-facing wall.

See all 38 available plants that withstand −8 °C

Sold out for now: 31 other plants

On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Corsican Mountain Orange, Dom Joao Orange, Fragola Orange, Haruka, Harumi, Hassaku, Hyuganatsu, Jabara, Juanita Mandarin, Kino Kuni Mikakukishu Mandarin, Mapo Tangelo, Meiwa Kumquat, Minneola, Moro Orange, Nameiwa Kumquat, Natsudaidai, Ota 38 Tangor, Rio Red Grapefruit, Salustiana Orange, Sanbokan, Satsuma China S-3, Satsuma Iwasaki, Satsuma Pucheng, Sciara x Clem Blood Tangor, Seminole, Setubalense Mandarin, Shunkokan, Ugli, Vaniglia Sanguigno Orange, Wekiwa Tangelolo, Z194 Ichangensis x Sinensis.

The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter

Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −8 °C): in a large pot, outdoors from spring to autumn and brought into a bright, frost-free room for the winter. All our citrus trees.

−12 °Cone winter in ten

Gâtine de Parthenay

Parthenay, Secondigny, Mazières-en-Gâtine, Ménigoute, Vasles, Thénezay, L'Absie See the citrus trees for this area

The hills of the Gâtine: −12 °C one winter in ten, −7 °C in an ordinary winter. Altitude is not everything here: Scillé, at 247 m, is the mildest station in the area (−10.8 °C), Thénezay, to the east, the coldest (−12.6 °C). Citranges, yuzus and the hardiest satsumas spend the winter outdoors; the other satsumas, kumquats and the hardiest clementines with a fleece. The other citrus trees stay in pots. The soil, clay and often acid, stays wet in winter in the low spots: plant on a slope, on a mound.

−12 °Cone winter in ten
−7 °Can ordinary winter
−14.5 °Crecord, 11 February 2012
Thénezay (2)

The soil of the area and the rootstock

According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, river alluvium and thin acid soils. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet, acid, clayey and silty.

Rootstocks to favour: Poncirus, then FA5.

Your plot may be different. Look at the Géoportail soil map (in French) around your home, then refine with our 5-step test.

In open ground, without protection

They withstand −12 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.

See all 17 available plants that withstand −12 °C

Sold out for now: 11 other plants

On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Ambersweet, Auline, Bendizao Mandarin, Hana Yuzu, Satsuma Dobashi Beni, Satsuma Kowano, Satsuma Louisiana, Satsuma Saigon, Satsuma Waze, Thornless Yuzu, Yuzu.

In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights

They withstand −9 °C. A winter fleece put on at each frost and removed as soon as the frost stops, and a sheltered spot against a south-facing wall.

See all 21 available plants that withstand −9 °C

Sold out for now: 20 other plants

On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Corsican Mountain Orange, Haruka, Harumi, Hyuganatsu, Jabara, Juanita Mandarin, Kino Kuni Mikakukishu Mandarin, Mapo Tangelo, Meiwa Kumquat, Minneola, Nameiwa Kumquat, Natsudaidai, Rio Red Grapefruit, Sanbokan, Satsuma China S-3, Satsuma Iwasaki, Satsuma Miho, Satsuma Pucheng, Setubalense Mandarin, Shunkokan.

The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter

Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −9 °C): in a large pot, outdoors from spring to autumn and brought into a bright, frost-free room for the winter. All our citrus trees.

−12 °Cone winter in ten

Thouarsais

Thouars, Saint-Varent, Airvault, Oiron, Saint-Martin-de-Sanzay, Argenton-l'Église See the citrus trees for this area

The north of the département, on the edge of Anjou: −12 °C one winter in ten. Thouars and Glénay stay at −11.8 °C, but Bouillé-Loretz, at 55 m, records −13.0 °C one winter in ten and −14.5 °C in February 2012. Citranges, yuzus and the hardiest satsumas spend the winter outdoors; the other satsumas, kumquats and the hardiest clementines with a fleece. The other citrus trees stay in pots. The clay soil, sometimes acid, sometimes chalky, holds moisture in winter: plant on a mound.

−12 °Cone winter in ten
−7 °Can ordinary winter
−14.5 °Crecord, 9 February 2012
Bouillé-Loretz

The soil of the area and the rootstock

According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, silty soils and soils waterlogged part of the year. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet, acid, clayey, silty and chalky.

Rootstocks to favour: Poncirus, then FA5. Poncirus only if the active lime stays below about 5% (soil analysis).

Your plot may be different. Look at the Géoportail soil map (in French) around your home, then refine with our 5-step test.

In open ground, without protection

They withstand −12 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.

See all 17 available plants that withstand −12 °C

Sold out for now: 11 other plants

On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Ambersweet, Auline, Bendizao Mandarin, Hana Yuzu, Satsuma Dobashi Beni, Satsuma Kowano, Satsuma Louisiana, Satsuma Saigon, Satsuma Waze, Thornless Yuzu, Yuzu.

In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights

They withstand −9 °C. A winter fleece put on at each frost and removed as soon as the frost stops, and a sheltered spot against a south-facing wall.

See all 21 available plants that withstand −9 °C

Sold out for now: 20 other plants

On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Corsican Mountain Orange, Haruka, Harumi, Hyuganatsu, Jabara, Juanita Mandarin, Kino Kuni Mikakukishu Mandarin, Mapo Tangelo, Meiwa Kumquat, Minneola, Nameiwa Kumquat, Natsudaidai, Rio Red Grapefruit, Sanbokan, Satsuma China S-3, Satsuma Iwasaki, Satsuma Miho, Satsuma Pucheng, Setubalense Mandarin, Shunkokan.

The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter

Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −9 °C): in a large pot, outdoors from spring to autumn and brought into a bright, frost-free room for the winter. All our citrus trees.

Readings from the Météo-France stations (winters 1996-1997 to 2025-2026)
StationAltitudeOrdinary winterOne winter in tenRecordWinters at −9 °C or below
Melle136 m−5.4 °C−10.3 °C−13.9 °C (1 March 2005)6 out of 30
Scillé247 m−5.9 °C−10.8 °C−11.1 °C (12 February 2012)2 out of 20
Niort57 m−5.9 °C−10.5 °C−10.7 °C (1 March 2005)5 out of 30
Surin112 m−6 °C−10.3 °C−10.5 °C (9 February 2012)5 out of 23
La Touche129 m−6 °C−10 °C−10 °C (1 March 2005)4 out of 20
Ménigoute138 m−6.5 °C−11 °C−11.5 °C (2 January 1997)5 out of 30
Thouars81 m−6.6 °C−11.8 °C−12.6 °C (12 February 2012)5 out of 30
Parthenay159 m−6.6 °C−11.5 °C−11.9 °C (1 March 2005)7 out of 30
Bressuire191 m−6.7 °C−11.3 °C−12.1 °C (2 January 1997)5 out of 30
Glénay121 m−6.8 °C−11.8 °C−13.2 °C (9 January 2009)8 out of 29
Lezay128 m−7 °C−12 °C−12.5 °C (9 February 2012)6 out of 25
Nueil-les-Aubiers118 m−7 °C−10.9 °C−12 °C (2 January 1997)6 out of 24
Bouillé-Loretz55 m−7 °C−13 °C−14.5 °C (9 February 2012)5 out of 21
Thénezay (2)132 m−7 °C−11.7 °C−14.5 °C (11 February 2012)7 out of 24
Secondigny198 m−7 °C−11.8 °C−13.5 °C (1 March 2005)7 out of 27
Pougne-Hérisson196 m−7.6 °C−11.5 °C−12.9 °C (1 March 2005)10 out of 29
Thénezay140 m−7.8 °C−12.6 °C−14.3 °C (9 February 2012)7 out of 23
Prin-Deyrançon14 m−8 °C−11.7 °C−14 °C (9 February 2012)6 out of 23

“Ordinary winter”: half of the winters go colder, the other half less cold. “One winter in ten”: this cold is reached or exceeded in about one winter in ten. Calculations by the Greffeur d'agrumes nursery.

How to read these figures

The hardiness given on our product pages is the cold that an adult, healthy and hardened citrus tree withstands during a short frost. We compare it with the cold that comes back about one winter in ten: a plant listed “without protection” withstands at least that cold. In harsher winters, about three in thirty, keep a winter fleece ready for the coldest nights.

Very harsh winters are still possible. In February 2012, Bouillé-Loretz and Thénezay fell to −14.5 °C, and Prin-Deyrançon, in the Marais Poitevin, to −14.0 °C. On 1 March 2005, Melle recorded −13.9 °C. Such cold can burn the leaves or a few shoots of a citrus tree that is only just hardy enough. Wait for spring to see what grows back before pruning.

To understand what helps a tree get through frost, read Understanding citrus hardiness.

Our advice for the Deux-Sèvres

  • Beware of low-lying land. In the Marais Poitevin, cold air spreads out and lingers at night: one winter in ten, Prin-Deyrançon falls to −11.7 °C while Niort stays at −10.5 °C. In the garden, choose the highest, best-sheltered corner, against a south-facing wall.
  • In the Gâtine, prefer the slopes. The heights are not the coldest: Scillé, at 247 m, has less frost than the lower stations of the area. Avoid the bottoms of small valleys, where water and cold air linger.
  • Adapt to your soil. Around Niort and in the Mellois, it is often chalky and clay; in the Gâtine and the Thouarsais, clay and often acid, wet in winter. In heavy soil, plant on a mound.
  • Choose the rootstock for your soil. Poncirus is the most cold-resistant and copes better with drought. In chalky, dry soil, FA5 does better; in acid soil, 4475 adapts, in a large hole with improved soil, with more water in summer. Our 5-step test guides you: Which rootstock should you choose?
  • Plant in spring, once the frosts are over. From September onwards, no fertiliser and no pruning: the tree must harden before winter.
  • Protect young plants on nights below −5 °C during the first years. Put the winter fleece on at each frost and take it off as soon as the frost stops.
  • Mulch in summer only, against drought, without the straw touching the trunk. Pull it away from the foot of the tree at the end of autumn: moisture at the collar encourages phytophthora.

Frequently asked questions

Can a lemon tree live in the ground in Niort?

Not for long. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and Niort went below that level in 23 winters out of 30. Grow it in a pot and bring it in for the winter. For a sour fruit in the garden, a yuzu or a hardy lemon substitute will do: see Lemons and lemon substitutes.

Which citrus trees spend the winter outdoors in the Deux-Sèvres?

Citranges, everywhere in the département. Yuzus and the hardiest satsumas, also everywhere. Around Niort, the other satsumas and kumquats do without protection too; elsewhere, they need a fleece on frosty nights. They are brought together in Hardy citrus.

What about orange trees and clementines?

They withstand −7 to −9 °C depending on the variety. Around Niort, orange trees and clementines live in the ground with a fleece on frosty nights, against a south-facing wall. In the Mellois and the Bressuire bocage, orange trees and the hardiest clementines do too. In the Gâtine and the Thouarsais, only the hardiest clementines can try it, with a fleece; keep orange trees in pots.

My town is not listed: which area should I choose?

Find the nearest station in the table of readings and take its area. If your garden is in a damp hollow or at the edge of the marsh, count one or two degrees colder; on a well-open hillside, rather a little milder.

These figures are guidelines. Your garden may be milder or colder than the nearest station. A question about your plot? Write to us.

Sources: Météo-France, daily basic climatological data (data.gouv.fr, Licence Ouverte 2.0); near the eastern border, also the Deutscher Wetterdienst (Datenlizenz Deutschland 2.0); towns, altitudes and boundaries: INSEE, IGN (Admin Express, RGE ALTI) and geo.api.gouv.fr (Licence Ouverte); soils: dominant soil map INRAE / Gis Sol (Licence Ouverte). Topsoil lime: LUCAS, European Commission, JRC (ESDAC, Ballabio et al. 2019).

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