Citrus outdoors in the Yonne (89): which ones withstand the cold?

In the Yonne, the winter cold increases from north to south, from the Yonne valley towards the Morvan. One winter in ten, it falls to about −13 °C around Sens and Joigny, −14 °C in the Puisaye, in Auxerre and in the Chablisien, and −15 °C in the Avallonnais. The hardiest citrus trees live in the ground here; the most tender stay 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. 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.

Aisne (02): −15 °C one winter in tenAllier (03): −14 °C one winter in tenAube (10): −15 °C one winter in tenCher (18): −13 °C one winter in tenCôte-d'Or (21): −16 °C one winter in tenEure-et-Loir (28): −14 °C one winter in tenIndre (36): −13 °C one winter in tenLoir-et-Cher (41): −13 °C one winter in tenLoiret (45): −14 °C one winter in tenMarne (51): −13 °C one winter in tenHaute-Marne (52): −17 °C one winter in tenMeuse (55): −15 °C one winter in tenNièvre (58): −14 °C one winter in tenSaône-et-Loire (71): −15 °C one winter in tenParis (75): −9 °C one winter in tenSeine-et-Marne (77): −13 °C one winter in tenYvelines (78): −12 °C one winter in tenYonne (89): −14 °C one winter in tenEssonne (91): −13 °C one winter in tenHauts-de-Seine (92): −11 °C one winter in tenSeine-Saint-Denis (93): −12 °C one winter in tenVal-de-Marne (94): −11 °C one winter in tenVal-d'Oise (95): −12 °C one winter in ten0203101821283641455152555871757778899192939495
  • −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:

−13 °Cone winter in ten

Sens, Joigny and the lower Yonne valley

Sens, Joigny, Villeneuve-sur-Yonne, Pont-sur-Yonne, Saint-Julien-du-Sault, Chéroy See the citrus trees for this area

The Yonne valley downstream from Joigny and the Gâtinais plateau, towards Chéroy: the least cold part of the département, with −13 °C one winter in ten and −9 °C in an ordinary winter. Joigny, on the banks of the Yonne, falls to −13.1 °C, Savigny-sur-Clairis, on the plateau, to −11.5 °C; at Flacy, in a hollow, the cold falls to −17.5 °C one winter in ten, and −21.5 °C was recorded there on 2 January 1997. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors; the other yuzus, satsumas and kumquats with a fleece, against a south-facing wall; orange trees, clementines and lemon trees stay in pots. The soil is often chalky.

−13 °Cone winter in ten
−9 °Can ordinary winter
−21.5 °Crecord, 2 January 1997
Flacy

The soil of the area and the rootstock

According to the soil map, this area mostly has chalky soils, river alluvium and silty soils. In practice, the soil is often chalky.

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 −13 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.

See these plants in the catalogue

Sold out for now: 2 other plants

On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Hana Yuzu, Yuzu.

In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights

They withstand −10 °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 27 available plants that withstand −10 °C

Sold out for now: 25 other plants

On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Ambersweet, Auline, Bendizao Mandarin, Corsican Mountain Orange, 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.

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

Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −10 °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

Puisaye and Forterre

Toucy, Saint-Fargeau, Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye, Bléneau, Charny, Aillant-sur-Tholon, Courson-les-Carrières See the citrus trees for this area

The bocage, small fields and hedges, of the Puisaye and the plateaus of the Forterre: −14 °C one winter in ten, −9 °C in an ordinary winter. Saint-Fargeau, at 258 m, falls to −15.1 °C; Molesmes, on the heights of the Forterre at 355 m, stays at −12.3 °C. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors without protection; the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas with a fleece; the other citrus trees stay in pots. The soil is often clay: plant on a mound.

−14 °Cone winter in ten
−9 °Can ordinary winter
−19 °Crecord, 1 January 1997
Aillant-sur-Tholon

The soil of the area and the rootstock

According to the soil map, this area mostly has silty soils, calcium-rich but barely chalky soils and chalky soils. In practice, the soil is often clayey, silty and chalky.

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 −14 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.

See these plants in the catalogue

Sold out for now: 2 other plants

On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Hana Yuzu, Yuzu.

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.

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.

−14 °Cone winter in ten

Auxerre, Chablis and the Tonnerrois

Auxerre, Monéteau, Chablis, Ligny-le-Châtel, Saint-Florentin, Tonnerre, Cruzy-le-Châtel See the citrus trees for this area

Auxerre, the Chablis vineyards and the Tonnerrois: −14 °C one winter in ten, −9 °C in an ordinary winter. There is no station in Auxerre itself; Chablis, at the bottom of the Serein valley, is the coldest, with −15.1 °C one winter in ten and −20.1 °C recorded on 2 January 1997. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors without protection; the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas with a fleece at each frost; the other citrus trees stay in pots. The soil is often chalky.

−14 °Cone winter in ten
−9 °Can ordinary winter
−20.1 °Crecord, 2 January 1997
Chablis

The soil of the area and the rootstock

According to the soil map, this area mostly has chalky soils, river alluvium and soils waterlogged part of the year. In practice, the soil is often chalky.

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 −14 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.

See these plants in the catalogue

Sold out for now: 2 other plants

On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Hana Yuzu, Yuzu.

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.

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.

−15 °Cone winter in ten

The Avallonnais, the Vézelien and the Morvan

Avallon, Vézelay, Quarré-les-Tombes, Saint-Léger-Vauban, L'Isle-sur-Serein, Châtel-Censoir, Merry-sur-Yonne See the citrus trees for this area

The Avallonnais, Vézelay and the first slopes of the Morvan: −15 °C one winter in ten, −10 °C in an ordinary winter. Altitude makes itself felt: Saint-Léger-Vauban, at 464 m, falls to −16.8 °C. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live outdoors without protection, on a south-facing slope; the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas need a fleece; the other citrus trees stay in pots. The soil is sometimes chalky.

−15 °Cone winter in ten
−10 °Can ordinary winter
−18.7 °Crecord, 1 March 2005
Saint-Léger-Vauban

The soil of the area and the rootstock

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

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.

See these plants in the catalogue

Sold out for now: 2 other plants

On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Hana Yuzu, Yuzu.

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.

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.

Readings from the Météo-France stations (winters 1996-1997 to 2025-2026)
StationAltitudeOrdinary winterOne winter in tenRecordWinters at −9 °C or below
Savigny-sur-Clairis184 m−7.4 °C−11.5 °C−14.2 °C (2 January 1997)10 out of 30
Molesmes355 m−8.4 °C−12.3 °C−13.6 °C (1 January 1997)11 out of 30
Tonnerre200 m−8.5 °C−14 °C−16.6 °C (20 December 2009)11 out of 22
Sens70 m−8.6 °C−12.1 °C−17.4 °C (2 January 1997)12 out of 29
Grandchamp180 m−8.6 °C−14 °C−17.2 °C (2 January 1997)15 out of 30
Saint-Privé198 m−8.6 °C−14 °C−15.5 °C (19 December 2009)10 out of 21
Saint-André-en-Terre-Plaine300 m−8.7 °C−14.9 °C−16 °C (20 December 2009)10 out of 21
Ligny-le-Châtel155 m−9 °C−14.2 °C−17 °C (2 January 1997)11 out of 20
Joigny75 m−9.3 °C−13.1 °C−16.8 °C (2 January 1997)13 out of 23
Cruzy-le-Châtel291 m−9.6 °C−14.5 °C−15.6 °C (20 December 2009)17 out of 30
Merry-sur-Yonne225 m−10 °C−14 °C−16.5 °C (2 January 1997)15 out of 24
Saint-Fargeau258 m−10 °C−15.1 °C−18 °C (2 January 1997)16 out of 30
Flacy118 m−10 °C−17.5 °C−21.5 °C (2 January 1997)15 out of 23
Chablis141 m−10.9 °C−15.1 °C−20.1 °C (2 January 1997)18 out of 29
Saint-Léger-Vauban464 m−10.9 °C−16.8 °C−18.7 °C (1 March 2005)20 out of 25
Aillant-sur-Tholon124 m−11 °C−14.4 °C−19 °C (1 January 1997)20 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. At the very beginning of January 1997, Flacy, in a hollow of the Sénonais, fell to −21.5 °C, Chablis to −20.1 °C, Aillant-sur-Tholon to −19.0 °C and Sens to −17.4 °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 Yonne

  • Avoid valley bottoms. On clear nights, cold air flows down towards the Yonne, the Serein or the Armançon and collects there. One winter in ten, Joigny, on the banks of the Yonne, falls 1.6 °C lower than Savigny-sur-Clairis on the plateau; Chablis is the coldest station in its area, and at Flacy, in a hollow, the cold falls to −17.5 °C one winter in ten. Choose the top of a hillside or the foot of a south-facing wall.
  • Adapt the planting to your soil. Around Sens and Auxerre, the soil is often chalky; in the Puisaye, it is rather clay and heavy. In both cases, plant on a mound so that water does not lie at the foot of the tree.
  • Choose the rootstock to match. Poncirus is the most cold-resistant; in chalky, dry soil, FA5 does better. Our 5-step test helps you choose: Which rootstock should you choose?
  • Plant in spring, when the frosts are over: the tree has the warm season to settle in. From September onwards, give no more fertiliser and stop 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 grow a lemon tree in the ground in Auxerre?

No. The lemon tree withstands about −5 °C; around Auxerre, it falls to −9 °C in an ordinary winter and to −14 °C one winter in ten. Keep it in a pot, protected from frost in winter. If you want a sour fruit in the garden, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 withstand −15 °C: they spend the winter outdoors without protection throughout the département; the other yuzus (Yuzu 30, thornless, Tada Nishiki), at −12 °C, with a fleece. See Lemons and lemon substitutes.

Which citrus trees can take the winter in the Yonne?

Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 withstand −15 °C: they spend the winter without protection throughout the département. The other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas can try the ground everywhere, under a fleece; in the Sénonais, so can all satsumas and kumquats. They are brought together in Hardy citrus.

What about orange trees and clementines?

They withstand −7 to −9 °C depending on the variety: that is too borderline throughout the Yonne, even with a fleece. A pot remains the answer: outdoors in summer, protected from frost in winter.

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

Find the nearest area, then the nearby station in the table of readings. If you are higher than the station, take off about one degree for every 150 m; if you are at the bottom of a valley, count one or two degrees less.

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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