In Tarn-et-Garonne, the winter cold changes from one place to another. One winter in ten, it falls to about −9 °C in Montauban and on the Garonne plain, −10 °C in the Quercy Blanc, −11 °C in the Lomagne and −14 °C in the Aveyron valley and the Caylus area.
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, at Lavernose-Lacasse (Haute-Garonne), is about 1 h 15 min from Montauban by road: you can collect your plants there 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:
−9 °Cone winter in ten
Montauban and the Garonne plain
Montauban, Castelsarrasin, Moissac, Montech, Valence, Labastide-Saint-Pierre
See the citrus trees for this area
The mildest part of the département: −9 °C one winter in ten and −7 °C in an ordinary winter. The soil of the terraces is silty and often wet in winter: take care of drainage. Towards Valence, further west, the cold goes lower: −11.0 °C one winter in ten. Satsumas, yuzus, kumquats, citranges and the hardiest clementines spend the winter outdoors here; orange trees and the other clementines with a fleece on frosty nights, against a south-facing wall. Lemon trees stay in pots.
Castelsarrasin
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has silty soils and soils waterlogged part of the year. 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 −9 °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
-
Orisa 9 Tangor
down to −9 °C · €41.00
-
Yuzu 3
down to −15 °C · €38.00
-
Fukushu Kumquat
down to −10 °C · €32.30
See all 38 available plants that withstand −9 °C
Sold out for now: 31 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Ambersweet, Auline, Bendizao Mandarin, Corsican Mountain Orange, Hana Yuzu, 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 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 −6 °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
-
Fina Clementine
down to −8 °C · €29.75
-
Enzo Grapefruit
down to −8 °C · €35.00
-
Murcott Tangor
down to −8 °C · €35.00
-
Citradia
down to −8 °C · €35.00
-
Tavares Limequat
down to −7 °C · €29.75
-
Cara Cara Orange
down to −8 °C · €35.00
-
Glauca
down to −8 °C · €38.00
See all 27 available plants that withstand −6 °C
Sold out for now: 15 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Dom Joao Orange, Fragola Orange, Hassaku, Iyo Mikan Tangor, Mandalate Mandarin, Moro Orange, 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 −6 °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
Quercy Blanc and the northern hillsides
Lauzerte, Caussade, Montpezat-de-Quercy, Molières, Montaigu-de-Quercy, Durfort-Lacapelette
See the citrus trees for this area
Hillsides on chalky soil, a little colder than the plain: −10 °C one winter in ten. Lauzerte, on its hill, does not fall as low as the small valleys: −8.8 °C one winter in ten, against −10.5 °C at Durfort-Lacapelette. Satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges live here without protection; orange trees and clementines with a fleece. Lemon trees stay in pots. Plant at the top of the plot rather than at the bottom of the valley.
Durfort-Lacapelette
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has chalky soils, silty soils and shallow chalky soils. In practice, the soil is often 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 −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
Lomagne and the southern terraces
Beaumont-de-Lomagne, Lavit, Larrazet, Verdun-sur-Garonne, Savenès
See the citrus trees for this area
Hillsides and terraces with silty soil, often wet in winter: −11 °C one winter in ten. Plant on a mound. Citranges, yuzus and the hardiest satsumas spend the winter here without protection; the other satsumas, kumquats, orange trees and the hardiest clementines with a fleece, sheltered by a south-facing wall. Lemon trees and the other clementines stay in pots.
Savenès (2)
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has silty soils and soils waterlogged part of the year. 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.
−14 °Cone winter in ten
Aveyron valley and the Caylus area
Caylus, Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, Septfonds, Nègrepelisse, Montricoux, Bruniquel
See the citrus trees for this area
The coldest part of the département: −14 °C one winter in ten and −15.0 °C recorded at Montricoux in February 2012. Cold air collects at the bottom of the Aveyron valley. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors here; the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas need a fleece at each frost; the other citrus trees stay in pots. Choose a sheltered spot, against a south-facing wall.
Montricoux
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has silty soils and very thin soils over rock. In practice, the soil is often chalky, silty 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 −14 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.
In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights
They withstand −11 °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 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
-
Ichang Lemon Shangyuan
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
US 119
down to −12 °C · €35.00
-
Clemyuz
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
Eremorange
down to −12 °C · €35.00
See all 14 available plants that withstand −11 °C
Sold out for now: 10 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Ambersweet, Auline, Bendizao Mandarin, Satsuma Dobashi Beni, Satsuma Kowano, Satsuma Louisiana, Satsuma Miho, Satsuma Saigon, Satsuma Waze, Thornless Yuzu.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −11 °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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Savenès | 156 m | −6 °C | −10.6 °C | −13.2 °C (9 February 2012) | 5 out of 25 |
| Lauzerte | 231 m | −6.1 °C | −8.8 °C | −12.3 °C (9 February 2012) | 1 out of 23 |
| Sérignac | 151 m | −6.3 °C | −9.8 °C | −13.1 °C (9 February 2012) | 3 out of 30 |
| Valence | 64 m | −6.5 °C | −11 °C | −13.7 °C (9 February 2012) | 4 out of 24 |
| Montauban | 106 m | −6.7 °C | −9.3 °C | −12 °C (9 February 2012) | 4 out of 30 |
| Saint-Vincent-d'Autéjac | 191 m | −7 °C | −9.5 °C | −13 °C (9 February 2012) | 5 out of 30 |
| Durfort-Lacapelette | 153 m | −7 °C | −10.5 °C | −13 °C (9 February 2012) | 5 out of 24 |
| Castelsarrasin | 73 m | −7 °C | −9.4 °C | −13.8 °C (9 February 2012) | 3 out of 28 |
| Savenès (2) | 117 m | −7.2 °C | −11.6 °C | −14.5 °C (9 February 2012) | 5 out of 24 |
| Montricoux | 108 m | −9 °C | −13 °C | −15 °C (6 February 2012) | 11 out of 21 |
| Caylus | 274 m | −9.1 °C | −14.6 °C | −14.7 °C (10 February 2012) | 13 out of 24 |
“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, Montauban fell to −12.0 °C, Castelsarrasin to −13.8 °C and Montricoux to −15.0 °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 Tarn-et-Garonne
- Avoid hollows. Cold air flows down and collects at the bottom of valleys. The records show it: one winter in ten, Montricoux, in the Aveyron valley, falls to −13.0 °C while Montauban stays at −9.3 °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 silty soils of the plain and the Lomagne often stay wet in winter. In heavy or wet soil, plant on a mound.
- Choose the rootstock for your soil. Poncirus is the most cold-resistant. In the Quercy Blanc, where the soil is chalky, FA5 does better. Our 5-step test helps you choose: Which rootstock should you choose?
- Shelter from the autan wind. This dry wind from the south-east blows hard on the plain. A wall or a hedge protects the leaves and the winter fleece.
- Plant in spring, once the frosts are over. The tree then has a whole season to take root before its first winter. From September onwards, no fertiliser and no pruning.
- 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 Montauban?
Not without risk. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and the plain falls to −9 °C one winter in ten and 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 Tarn-et-Garonne?
Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter without protection throughout the département, even in the Aveyron valley and the Caylus area, at −14 °C one winter in ten. On the plain and in the Quercy Blanc, satsumas, yuzus and kumquats also manage without it. In the Lomagne, so do yuzus and the hardiest satsumas; kumquats and the other satsumas need a fleece. In the Aveyron valley, the other yuzus (Yuzu 30, thornless, Tada Nishiki) and the hardiest satsumas need a fleece; keep kumquats in pots. They are brought together in Hardy citrus.
What about orange trees and clementines?
They withstand −7 to −9 °C depending on the variety. On the plain, the hardiest clementines spend the winter outdoors without protection; orange trees and the other clementines are grown in the ground with a fleece on frosty nights, sheltered by a south-facing wall. In the Quercy Blanc, orange trees and clementines need a fleece. In the Lomagne, orange trees and the hardiest clementines can try it with a fleece; keep the other clementines in pots. In the Aveyron valley and the Caylus area, keep them in pots.
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).