In the Tarn, the winter cold changes from one corner to another. One winter in ten, it falls to about −10 °C in Albi and Castres, −11 °C in the Ségala and −12 °C in the Montagne Noire and the Monts de Lacaune.
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.
Our nursery, in Lavernose-Lacasse (Haute-Garonne), is about 1 h 30 min from Albi by road: collection is possible by appointment (Click & Collect).
- −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
Albi, Gaillac and the Tarn valley
Albi, Gaillac, Lisle-sur-Tarn, Rabastens, Saint-Sulpice-la-Pointe, Lavaur, Graulhet, Montans
See the citrus trees for this area
The Tarn and Agout valleys, from Albi to Lavaur: −10 °C one winter in ten, −7 °C in an ordinary winter. Albi falls to −9.8 °C, Florentin, near Gaillac, to −11 °C. 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 silty soil often stays wet in winter: plant on a mound.
Florentin
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has silty soils, soils waterlogged part of the year and river alluvium. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet and silty.
Rootstocks to favour: Poncirus, then 4475.
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.
-
Satsuma China S-2
down to −12 °C · €41.00
-
Ermelo Orange
down to −10 °C · €47.00
-
Changsha Mandarin
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
Changshan Huyou
down to −11 °C · €38.00
-
Sudachi Seneca
down to −12 °C · €42.00
-
Yuzu 3
down to −15 °C · €38.00
-
Fukushu Kumquat
down to −10 °C · €32.30
-
Morton Citrange
down to −15 °C · €35.00
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.
-
Fukumoto Orange
down to −8 °C · €35.00
-
Clemenules Clementine
down to −9 °C · €35.00
-
Marsh Seedless Grapefruit
down to −9 °C · €29.75
-
Kabosu
down to −9 °C · €38.00
-
Orisa 9 Tangor
down to −9 °C · €41.00
-
Yuko
down to −9 °C · €38.00
-
Tavares Limequat
down to −7 °C · €29.75
-
Cara Cara Orange
down to −8 °C · €35.00
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.
−10 °Cone winter in ten
Castres, Lauragais and the foot of the Montagne Noire
Castres, Burlats, Lautrec, Labruguière, Puylaurens, Soual, Dourgne, Sorèze
See the citrus trees for this area
The south of the département, swept by the autan wind: −10 °C one winter in ten, −6 °C in an ordinary winter. Puylaurens and Dourgne fall to −9.5 °C, Burlats, near Castres, to −10.1 °C. The soil here is often chalky or wet in winter: plant on a mound. Satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter outdoors here; orange trees and clementines with a fleece, sheltered from the wind. Lemon trees stay in pots.
Burlats
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has soils waterlogged part of the year, silty soils and chalky soils. In practice, the soil is often chalky, winter-wet and silty.
Rootstocks to favour: C35, 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.
-
Satsuma China S-2
down to −12 °C · €41.00
-
Ermelo Orange
down to −10 °C · €47.00
-
Changsha Mandarin
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
Changshan Huyou
down to −11 °C · €38.00
-
Sudachi Seneca
down to −12 °C · €42.00
-
Yuzu 3
down to −15 °C · €38.00
-
Fukushu Kumquat
down to −10 °C · €32.30
-
Morton Citrange
down to −15 °C · €35.00
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.
-
Fukumoto Orange
down to −8 °C · €35.00
-
Clemenules Clementine
down to −9 °C · €35.00
-
Marsh Seedless Grapefruit
down to −9 °C · €29.75
-
Kabosu
down to −9 °C · €38.00
-
Orisa 9 Tangor
down to −9 °C · €41.00
-
Yuko
down to −9 °C · €38.00
-
Tavares Limequat
down to −7 °C · €29.75
-
Cara Cara Orange
down to −8 °C · €35.00
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
Cordais, Grésigne and Ségala
Cordes-sur-Ciel, Castelnau-de-Montmiral, Puycelsi, Carmaux, Tanus, Valence-d'Albigeois, Réalmont, Montredon-Labessonnié
See the citrus trees for this area
The hillsides of the north and the Ségala plateaus: −11 °C one winter in ten. The soil, often clay, stays wet in winter: take care of drainage. Citranges, yuzus and the hardiest satsumas spend the winter outdoors here; the other satsumas, kumquats, orange trees and the hardiest clementines with a fleece on frosty nights, against a south-facing wall. Lemon trees and the other clementines stay in pots.
Montredon-Labessonnié
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has soils waterlogged part of the year, silty soils and ordinary brown soils. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet, 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 −11 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.
-
Satsuma China S-2
down to −12 °C · €41.00
-
Changsha Mandarin
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
Changshan Huyou
down to −11 °C · €38.00
-
Sudachi Seneca
down to −12 °C · €42.00
-
Yuzu 3
down to −15 °C · €38.00
-
Morton Citrange
down to −15 °C · €35.00
-
Clemyuz
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
Eremorange
down to −12 °C · €35.00
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.
-
Satsuma Miyagawa
down to −10 °C · €38.00
-
Ermelo Orange
down to −10 °C · €47.00
-
Kishu Kino Kuni Mandarin
down to −10 °C · €42.00
-
Welker Grapefruit
down to −10 °C · €35.00
-
Kinkoji
down to −10 °C · €38.00
-
Orisa 9 Tangor
down to −9 °C · €41.00
-
Yuko
down to −9 °C · €38.00
-
Fukushu Kumquat
down to −10 °C · €32.30
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
Montagne Noire, Thoré valley and Monts de Lacaune
Mazamet, Saint-Amans-Soult, Labastide-Rouairoux, Rouairoux, Brassac, Lacaune, Murat-sur-Vèbre
See the citrus trees for this area
The mountains of the south-east: −12 °C one winter in ten, and −16 °C recorded at Lacaune in February 2012. The soil here is often acid. Citranges, yuzus and the hardiest satsumas spend the winter outdoors here; the other satsumas, kumquats and the hardiest clementines with a fleece; orange trees, the other clementines and lemon trees stay in pots. Lacaune, at 811 m, is clearly colder: −15.6 °C one winter in ten, where only citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 hold out, with a fleece.
Lacaune
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils and thin acid soils. In practice, the soil is often acid 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.
-
Satsuma China S-2
down to −12 °C · €41.00
-
Changsha Mandarin
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
Sudachi Seneca
down to −12 °C · €42.00
-
Yuzu 3
down to −15 °C · €38.00
-
Morton Citrange
down to −15 °C · €35.00
-
Clemyuz
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
Eremorange
down to −12 °C · €35.00
-
Satsuma Owari FS
down to −12 °C · €42.00
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.
-
Satsuma Miyagawa
down to −10 °C · €38.00
-
Ermelo Orange
down to −10 °C · €47.00
-
Shekwasha
down to −11 °C · €34.85
-
Changshan Huyou
down to −11 °C · €38.00
-
Kinkoji
down to −10 °C · €38.00
-
Orisa 9 Tangor
down to −9 °C · €41.00
-
Yuko
down to −9 °C · €38.00
-
Fukushu Kumquat
down to −10 °C · €32.30
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)
| Station | Altitude | Ordinary winter | One winter in ten | Record | Winters at −9 °C or below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puylaurens | 312 m | −6 °C | −9.5 °C | −11 °C (8 February 2012) | 2 out of 25 |
| Dourgne | 234 m | −6.1 °C | −9.5 °C | −12 °C (9 February 2012) | 6 out of 29 |
| Lavaur | 131 m | −6.2 °C | −10.3 °C | −13.1 °C (9 February 2012) | 4 out of 30 |
| Labastide-Rouairoux | 448 m | −6.7 °C | −9.7 °C | −11.8 °C (8 February 2012) | 4 out of 23 |
| Montredon-Labessonnié | 566 m | −6.7 °C | −11 °C | −13 °C (8 February 2012) | 9 out of 30 |
| Tanus | 537 m | −6.7 °C | −11.1 °C | −12.7 °C (8 February 2012) | 10 out of 24 |
| Montans | 129 m | −7 °C | −10.2 °C | −12.4 °C (9 February 2012) | 4 out of 21 |
| Rouairoux | 347 m | −7 °C | −11.5 °C | −11.5 °C (1 March 2005) | 7 out of 24 |
| Mazamet (Montagne Noire) | 682 m | −7 °C | −12 °C | −14.5 °C (9 February 2012) | 6 out of 23 |
| Albi | 172 m | −7.2 °C | −9.8 °C | −11.9 °C (6 February 2012) | 4 out of 30 |
| Burlats | 216 m | −7.5 °C | −10.1 °C | −12.9 °C (12 February 2012) | 4 out of 20 |
| Puycelsi | 260 m | −7.5 °C | −11.4 °C | −11.7 °C (8 February 2012) | 7 out of 22 |
| Montels | 255 m | −8 °C | −11.1 °C | −12.8 °C (9 February 2012) | 9 out of 24 |
| Florentin | 204 m | −8.5 °C | −11 °C | −13.5 °C (9 February 2012) | 7 out of 21 |
| Lacaune | 811 m | −10.4 °C | −15.6 °C | −16 °C (8 February 2012) | 24 out of 30 |
“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, Albi fell to −11.9 °C and Lacaune to −16 °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 Tarn
- Avoid hollows. Cold air flows down and collects at the bottom of valleys and in basins. One winter in ten, Florentin falls to −11 °C while Albi, close by, stays at −9.8 °C. Plant halfway up a slope or against a south-facing wall, never at the lowest point of the garden.
- Take care of drainage. The soils of the Tarn valley and the hillsides often stay wet in winter. In heavy or chalky soil, plant on a mound.
- Shelter from the autan wind. It dries out the leaves, especially in the south of the département. A hedge or a wall on the windward side helps young trees a lot.
- Choose the rootstock for your soil. Poncirus is the most cold-resistant. In chalky soil, FA5 does better; in acid soil, 4475 adapts, in a large hole with improved soil. Our 5-step test helps you choose: Which rootstock should you choose?
- Plant in spring, once the frosts are over, and 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 I plant a lemon tree in the ground in Albi?
Not without risk. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and Albi falls to around −7 °C in an ordinary winter. Keep them in pots, brought in for the winter. For a sour fruit in the ground, choose a yuzu or a hardy lemon substitute instead. You will find them in Lemons and lemon substitutes.
Which citrus trees withstand the cold best in the Tarn?
Citranges spend the winter without protection throughout the département, except on the heights of Lacaune, where they need a fleece. Around Albi and Castres, satsumas, yuzus and kumquats also do without it; in the Ségala and the Montagne Noire, so do yuzus and the hardiest satsumas, and kumquats 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 Albi and Castres, orange trees and clementines are grown in the ground, with a fleece on frosty nights, sheltered by a south-facing wall. In the Ségala, orange trees and the hardiest clementines can also try it with a fleece; in the Montagne Noire, only the hardiest clementines. Keep the others in pots, and all of them in pots on the heights of Lacaune.
My town is not listed: which area should I choose?
Take the nearest area at the same altitude, then compare with the nearest station in the table of readings. Take off about one degree for every 150 m of extra altitude, and one or two degrees if you are in a hollow.
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).