The Vosges is one of the coldest départements for citrus trees. One winter in ten, it falls to about −15 °C around Vittel, −16 °C in the Saint-Dié basin, −18 °C in Épinal and in the mountains, and −20 °C on the Mirecourt plain and in the Vôge. Only the hardiest can try the ground; the others are grown in pots.
We went through thirty winters of Météo-France records, from 1996 to 2026, and compared them with the hardiness of each of our plants. The département has only about ten stations: take these figures as orders of magnitude. 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.
- −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:
−15 °Cone winter in ten
Vittel, Contrexéville and Neufchâteau
Vittel, Contrexéville, Neufchâteau, Bulgnéville, Lamarche, Darney
See the citrus trees for this area
The western plateau, around Vittel, Contrexéville and Neufchâteau, is the least cold part of the département: −15 °C one winter in ten and −11 °C in an ordinary winter at Ligneville, the only station in the area. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors here, but only just: keep a fleece for them on the coldest nights. The other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas need a fleece at each frost; the other citrus trees stay in pots. Plant sheltered from the wind, against a south-facing wall.
Ligneville
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has calcium-rich but barely chalky soils, foot-of-slope soils and ordinary brown soils. In practice, the soil is often chalky, clayey, silty, winter-wet and acid.
Rootstock to favour: 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 −15 °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 −12 °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.
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Satsuma China S-2
down to −12 °C · €41.00
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Changsha Mandarin
down to −12 °C · €38.00
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Sudachi Seneca
down to −12 °C · €42.00
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Trivoss No. 1
down to −14 °C · €35.00
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Citrangeremo
down to −14 °C · €29.75
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Clemyuz
down to −12 °C · €38.00
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Eremorange
down to −12 °C · €35.00
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Satsuma Owari FS
down to −12 °C · €42.00
See all 14 available plants that withstand −12 °C
Sold out for now: 9 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 Saigon, Satsuma Waze, Thornless Yuzu.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −12 °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.
−16 °Cone winter in ten
Saint-Dié and the Déodatie
Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, Raon-l'Étape, Senones, Fraize, Provenchères-et-Colroy
See the citrus trees for this area
The Saint-Dié basin, at the foot of the sandstone Vosges: −16 °C one winter in ten, but only −9 °C in an ordinary winter. The Ban-de-Sapt station is at 590 m, on a slope; at the bottom of the Meurthe valley, count one or two degrees less. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live outdoors here with a fleece on nights of severe cold; the other citrus trees are grown in pots. The soil is acid and clay.
Ban-de-Sapt
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils and river alluvium. In practice, the soil is often acid and clayey.
Rootstock to favour: Poncirus.
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 −16 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.
None of our available plants withstands this cold without protection: choose pot culture.
In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights
They withstand −13 °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.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −13 °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.
−18 °Cone winter in ten
Épinal and the Moselle valley
Épinal, Golbey, Chantraine, Thaon-les-Vosges, Châtel-sur-Moselle, Arches
See the citrus trees for this area
Épinal, in the Moselle valley: −18 °C one winter in ten and −13 °C in an ordinary winter. On 24 December 2001, the station fell to −18.8 °C. Only citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live in the ground here, with a fleece at each frost; keep the other citrus trees in pots, protected from frost in winter. The soil is often acid.
Épinal
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, very acid sands and calcium-rich but barely chalky soils. In practice, the soil is often acid, clayey and silty.
Rootstock to favour: Poncirus.
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 −18 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.
None of our available plants withstands this cold without protection: choose pot culture.
In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights
They withstand −15 °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.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −15 °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.
−18 °Cone winter in ten
Remiremont, Gérardmer and the mountains
Remiremont, Gérardmer, La Bresse, Vagney, Le Thillot, Bussang, Plombières-les-Bains, Le Val-d'Ajol
See the citrus trees for this area
The mountains, from Remiremont and Plombières to Gérardmer and La Bresse: −18 °C one winter in ten, −13 °C in an ordinary winter. The lie of the land counts more than altitude: Gérardmer, at 669 m in the lake basin, falls to −19.5 °C, Vagney, at 805 m, to −17.5 °C. Only citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live in the ground here, with a fleece at each frost, away from the basins; keep the other citrus trees in pots. The soil is acid and often wet in winter.
Gérardmer
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has river alluvium, ordinary brown soils and waterlogged soils. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet, acid, silty and clayey.
Rootstock to favour: Poncirus.
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 −18 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.
None of our available plants withstands this cold without protection: choose pot culture.
In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights
They withstand −15 °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.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −15 °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.
−20 °Cone winter in ten
Mirecourt, Rambervillers and the Vôge
Mirecourt, Charmes, Dompaire, Rambervillers, Bains-les-Bains, Xertigny, Fontenoy-le-Château
See the citrus trees for this area
The Mirecourt and Rambervillers plain and the plateaus of the Vôge are the coldest in the département: −20 °C one winter in ten, −14 °C in an ordinary winter. On 24 December 2001, Roville-aux-Chênes recorded −22.1 °C and Bains-les-Bains −21.4 °C. Even citranges, which withstand −15 °C, are too borderline here: keep your citrus trees in pots. The soil, often acid and clay, stays wet in winter.
Roville-aux-Chênes
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, river alluvium and chalky soils. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet, acid, clayey and silty.
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 −20 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.
None of our available plants withstands this cold without protection: choose pot culture.
In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights
They withstand −17 °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.
No plant available in this range for now.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −17 °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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ban-de-Sapt | 590 m | −9.4 °C | −16.1 °C | −17 °C (19 December 2009) | 14 out of 22 |
| Ligneville | 433 m | −10.9 °C | −15 °C | −17.5 °C (20 December 2009) | 17 out of 25 |
| Vagney | 805 m | −11.4 °C | −17.5 °C | −19.4 °C (20 December 2009) | 16 out of 20 |
| Épinal | 317 m | −12.8 °C | −17.5 °C | −18.8 °C (24 December 2001) | 24 out of 30 |
| Gérardmer | 669 m | −12.9 °C | −19.5 °C | −20.5 °C (20 December 2009) | 18 out of 22 |
| Mirecourt (INRAE) | 289 m | −13.2 °C | −19.2 °C | −19.5 °C (20 December 2009) | 19 out of 23 |
| Roville-aux-Chênes | 278 m | −13.8 °C | −19.6 °C | −22.1 °C (24 December 2001) | 24 out of 30 |
| Bains-les-Bains | 319 m | −13.9 °C | −20.5 °C | −21.4 °C (24 December 2001) | 21 out of 25 |
| Le Val-d'Ajol | 370 m | −14 °C | −18 °C | −18.5 °C (19 December 2009) | 21 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. On 24 December 2001, Roville-aux-Chênes fell to −22.1 °C, Bains-les-Bains to −21.4 °C and Épinal to −18.8 °C; on 20 December 2009, Gérardmer recorded −20.5 °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 Vosges
- Rely on citranges. With Yuzu and Yuzu 3, they are the safest for the ground: without protection around Vittel, but only just, and with a fleece at each frost in the Saint-Dié basin, in Épinal and in the mountains. In the Vôge, even they are safer in pots. Around Vittel, the other yuzus (Yuzu 30, thornless, Tada Nishiki) and the hardiest satsumas can also be tried with a fleece; the other citrus trees are grown in pots.
- Beware of basins. Cold air slides down the slopes and lingers at the bottom. In Gérardmer, the lakeside station falls 2 °C lower one winter in ten than Vagney, even though Vagney is 140 m higher. Plant on a south-facing slope, never at the lowest point of the plot.
- Drain the soil. On the plain as in the valleys, the soil is often acid, clay and waterlogged in winter. Plant on a mound to keep the collar dry.
- The cold decides the rootstock. Poncirus is the most cold-resistant: it is the one you need here. Our 5-step test helps you choose: Which rootstock should you choose?
- Plant in spring, once the frosts are over, so that the tree takes 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, 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 Épinal?
No. A lemon tree withstands about −5 °C, and Épinal falls to −13 °C in an ordinary winter. Grow it in a pot: outdoors from late spring to autumn, then in a bright room protected from frost. For a sour fruit, also look at the lemon substitutes in Lemons and lemon substitutes.
Which citrus should I choose for the ground in the Vosges?
A citrange, which withstands −15 °C. It spends the winter outdoors without protection around Vittel, but only just, and with a fleece in the Saint-Dié basin, in Épinal and in the mountains. On the Mirecourt plain and in the Vôge, even it is safer in a pot. Yuzu and Yuzu 3, which also withstand −15 °C, are grown in the same way. Around Vittel, one of the other yuzus or one of the hardiest satsumas can also be tried, with a fleece. The hardiest are brought together in Hardy citrus.
Do orange trees and clementines stand a chance?
Not in the ground: they withstand −7 to −9 °C depending on the variety, much less than the cold of the Vosges. In a large pot, on a terrace in summer and protected from frost in winter, they flower and bear fruit.
My town is not listed: which area should I choose?
Take the nearest area, then the nearest station in the table of readings. In the Vosges, position matters as much as altitude: a valley bottom or a basin can be two degrees colder than a nearby slope. Above the station, take off about one degree for every 150 m.
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).