In Belgium, the winter cold changes from one region to the next. One winter in ten, it falls to about −12 °C on the coast, −14 °C in inland Flanders and in Brussels, −15 °C in Hainaut and Hesbaye, and −16 °C in the Campine, the Condroz, the Gaume and the Ardennes.
We went through thirty winters of records from the Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI/IRM), from 1996 to 2026, and compared them with the hardiness of each of our plants. To be frank: in Belgium, most citrus trees are grown in pots. In the ground, it is mainly the hardiest ones, and often with a fleece. 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.
Choose your area:
−12 °Cone winter in ten
The coast
Ostend, Knokke-Heist, Blankenberge, Middelkerke, Nieuwpoort, Koksijde, De Panne
See the citrus trees for this area
The sea softens the winter: one winter in ten, Zeebrugge, on the harbour, only falls to −8.4 °C, Koksijde to −11.9 °C and Middelkerke to −12.5 °C. Citranges, yuzus and the hardiest satsumas spend the winter here without protection; the other satsumas, kumquats and the hardiest clementines with a fleece on frosty nights, sheltered from the sea wind behind a wall or a hedge. The other citrus trees stay in pots.
Middelkerke
In open ground, without protection
They withstand −12 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.
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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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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
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Ermelo Orange
down to −10 °C · €47.00
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Shekwasha
down to −11 °C · €34.85
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Changshan Huyou
down to −11 °C · €38.00
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Kinkoji
down to −10 °C · €38.00
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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.
−14 °Cone winter in ten
Inland Flanders: Ghent, Bruges, Kortrijk
Ghent, Bruges, Kortrijk, Roeselare, Ypres, Oudenaarde, Aalst
See the citrus trees for this area
A low plain, away from the influence of the sea. One winter in ten, Semmerzake falls to −12.3 °C, Beitem to −13.7 °C and Melle, near Ghent, to −14.7 °C. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live here in the ground without protection; the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas with a fleece at each frost; the other citrus trees stay in pots. In heavy soil, plant on a mound.
Melle
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.
−14 °Cone winter in ten
Brussels and Brabant
Brussels, Leuven, Wavre, Mechelen, Vilvoorde, Waterloo, Nivelles
See the citrus trees for this area
The city keeps a little warmth: one winter in ten, Uccle falls to −12.6 °C, Beauvechain to −13.9 °C and Zaventem to −14.0 °C. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter here in the ground without protection; the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas with a fleece on frosty nights, against a south-facing wall; the other citrus trees stay in pots, brought in for the winter.
Beauvechain
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.
−15 °Cone winter in ten
Hainaut and Hesbaye
Mons, Charleroi, Tournai, Ath, Gembloux, Liège, Waremme
See the citrus trees for this area
Open plateaus exposed to the wind. One winter in ten, Chièvres falls to −14.6 °C, Gosselies to −15.0 °C and Bierset to −15.5 °C. Ernage, near Gembloux, is clearly colder: −17.5 °C one winter in ten and −21.9 °C in January 2009. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live here without protection, only just: keep a fleece for exceptional nights, and at each frost around Ernage. The other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas live here with a fleece at each frost; the other citrus trees stay in pots.
Ernage
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.
-
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
-
Trivoss No. 1
down to −14 °C · €35.00
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Citrangeremo
down to −14 °C · €29.75
-
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 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
Antwerp, the Campine and Limburg
Antwerp, Turnhout, Mol, Geel, Hasselt, Genk, Diest
See the citrus trees for this area
Antwerp benefits from the city and the Scheldt: −14.7 °C one winter in ten at Deurne. The Campine, with its sandy soils, is clearly colder: −17.3 °C at Kleine-Brogel and −18.6 °C at Retie one winter in ten. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live here with a fleece at each frost, sheltered by a wall; the other citrus trees stay in pots.
Diepenbeek
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.
−16 °Cone winter in ten
Condroz, Fagne and Famenne
Dinant, Ciney, Philippeville, Couvin, Rochefort, Marche-en-Famenne
See the citrus trees for this area
Plateaus and valleys between the Sambre, the Meuse and the Ardennes. One winter in ten, Florennes, on the plateau, falls to −13.8 °C, Humain to −15.6 °C and Dourbes, at the bottom of the valley, to −17.2 °C: cold air collects in hollows. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live here with a fleece at each frost; plant halfway up a slope, never at the bottom of a valley.
Dourbes
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.
−16 °Cone winter in ten
Gaume
Virton, Arlon, Florenville, Étalle, Habay
See the citrus trees for this area
South of the Ardennes, the Gaume has real winters: at Buzenol, −11.3 °C in an ordinary winter and −15.6 °C one winter in ten. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live here with a fleece at each frost, sheltered by a south-facing wall; the other citrus trees stay in pots.
Buzenol
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.
−16 °Cone winter in ten
The Ardennes and the High Fens
Bastogne, Saint-Hubert, Libramont, Spa, Malmedy, Stavelot, Bütgenbach
See the citrus trees for this area
The Ardennes plateau, with stations between 480 and 670 m above sea level. One winter in ten, Mont Rigi falls to −15.9 °C, Saint-Hubert to −16.1 °C and Spa to −16.3 °C. Elsenborn, the coldest station in the country, reaches −21.4 °C one winter in ten. Only citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 can try the open ground here, with a fleece at each frost; the other citrus trees stay in pots.
Elsenborn
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.
Readings from the RMI (IRM) stations (winters 1996-1997 to 2025-2026)
| Station | Altitude | Ordinary winter | One winter in ten | Record | Winters at −9 °C or below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zeebrugge | 12 m | −3.4 °C | −8.4 °C | −8.4 °C (4 February 2012) | 0 out of 20 |
| Beitem | 25 m | −6.2 °C | −13.7 °C | −14.9 °C (4 February 2012) | 5 out of 23 |
| Koksijde | 5 m | −6.6 °C | −11.9 °C | −12.5 °C (2 January 1997) | 5 out of 30 |
| Uccle | 101 m | −6.8 °C | −12.6 °C | −14.1 °C (1 January 1997) | 7 out of 30 |
| Semmerzake | 36 m | −6.9 °C | −12.3 °C | −13.4 °C (2 January 1997) | 6 out of 29 |
| Middelkerke | 4 m | −6.9 °C | −12.5 °C | −13.6 °C (2 January 1997) | 7 out of 30 |
| Melle | 15 m | −7.3 °C | −14.7 °C | −15 °C (4 February 2012) | 7 out of 23 |
| Zaventem-Melsbroek | 58 m | −7.5 °C | −14 °C | −14.7 °C (2 January 1997) | 9 out of 30 |
| Schaffen | 52 m | −7.6 °C | −14.5 °C | −17 °C (7 January 2009) | 7 out of 21 |
| Beauvechain | 121 m | −7.7 °C | −13.9 °C | −16.3 °C (2 January 1997) | 11 out of 29 |
| Chièvres | 60 m | −8.1 °C | −14.6 °C | −14.8 °C (7 January 2009) | 9 out of 23 |
| Bierset | 178 m | −8.1 °C | −15.5 °C | −16.5 °C (2 January 1997) | 12 out of 30 |
| Deurne (Antwerp) | 14 m | −8.2 °C | −14.7 °C | −15.2 °C (4 February 2012) | 11 out of 30 |
| Retie | 22 m | −8.5 °C | −18.6 °C | −19.7 °C (7 January 2009) | 10 out of 24 |
| Diepenbeek | 39 m | −8.6 °C | −16.3 °C | −20.7 °C (7 January 2009) | 8 out of 21 |
| Gosselies | 192 m | −8.7 °C | −15 °C | −16.7 °C (4 February 2012) | 13 out of 30 |
| Ernage | 159 m | −9 °C | −17.5 °C | −21.9 °C (7 January 2009) | 13 out of 24 |
| Florennes | 288 m | −9.1 °C | −13.8 °C | −16.8 °C (1 January 1997) | 16 out of 30 |
| Humain | 295 m | −9.6 °C | −15.6 °C | −16.9 °C (7 January 2009) | 15 out of 24 |
| Kleine-Brogel | 55 m | −10.2 °C | −17.3 °C | −19 °C (7 January 2009) | 19 out of 29 |
| Spa (airfield) | 482 m | −10.2 °C | −16.3 °C | −16.9 °C (19 December 2009) | 21 out of 30 |
| Dourbes | 235 m | −10.3 °C | −17.2 °C | −18.6 °C (7 January 2009) | 15 out of 25 |
| Saint-Hubert | 557 m | −11.1 °C | −16.1 °C | −16.4 °C (1 January 1997) | 24 out of 29 |
| Buzenol | 324 m | −11.3 °C | −15.6 °C | −16.4 °C (5 February 2012) | 17 out of 22 |
| Mont Rigi | 673 m | −11.3 °C | −15.9 °C | −18.4 °C (20 December 2009) | 20 out of 25 |
| Elsenborn | 565 m | −16.9 °C | −21.4 °C | −21.6 °C (13 February 1999) | 26 out of 29 |
“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 January 2009, Ernage fell to −21.9 °C and Diepenbeek to −20.7 °C; in February 1999, Elsenborn to −21.6 °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 Belgium
- Avoid hollows. Cold air flows down and collects at the bottom of valleys. The records show it: one winter in ten, Dourbes, at the bottom of the valley, falls to −17.2 °C, and Florennes, on the nearby plateau, to −13.8 °C. Plant halfway up a slope or against a south-facing wall, never at the lowest point of the garden.
- On the coast, shelter from the wind. The sea softens the cold, but the sea wind and the salt spray damage the leaves. A wall, a hedge or the corner of a house makes a real difference.
- Take care of drainage. Heavy soil holds water in winter. In heavy or chalky soil, plant on a mound.
- Choose the rootstock for your soil. Poncirus is the most cold-resistant and copes with drought better than 4475. FA5 suits chalky, dry soils. 4475 adapts to acid soils, in a large hole with improved soil, and needs more water in summer. Our 5-step test helps you choose: Which rootstock should you choose?
- 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 Brussels?
No. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and Uccle falls to −12.6 °C one winter in ten; even on the coast, the cold reaches −12 °C. Keep them in pots, outdoors from spring to autumn and indoors in winter, in a bright, frost-free room. For a sour fruit in the ground, a yuzu is a safer choice: on the coast, all yuzus spend the winter outdoors. In inland Flanders, in Brussels, in Hainaut and in Hesbaye, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 (−15 °C) do too; the other yuzus (−12 °C) need a fleece there on frosty nights. In the rest of the country, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 can be tried with a fleece. You will find them in Lemons and lemon substitutes.
Which citrus trees best withstand the cold in Belgium?
Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3, which withstand −15 °C. On the coast, in inland Flanders, in Brussels, in Hainaut and in Hesbaye, they spend the winter without protection; in the Campine, the Condroz, the Gaume and the Ardennes, they need a fleece at each frost. On the coast, the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas also do without; the other satsumas and kumquats can try the ground there with a fleece. In inland Flanders, in Brussels, in Hainaut and in Hesbaye, the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas hold out with a fleece. In the rest of the country, keep them in pots, like kumquats. They are gathered in Hardy citrus.
What about orange trees and clementines?
They withstand −7 to −9 °C depending on the variety. On the coast, only the hardiest clementines can be tried in the ground, with a fleece at each frost, sheltered from the sea wind. Elsewhere, and for orange trees, keep them in pots, indoors in winter in a bright, frost-free room.
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. Greffeur d'agrumes is a citrus nursery in the south-west of France; for delivery to Belgium, see our Delivery page. A question about your plot? Write to us.
Sources: Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium (RMI/IRM), synoptic observations, open data opendata.meteo.be (CC BY 4.0 licence); towns: Wikidata; postcodes: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0); altitudes: Copernicus DEM GLO-90 (© DLR, Airbus, European Union and ESA); boundaries © EuroGeographics (GISCO); soils: Flanders, digital soil map (DOV, Vlaamse overheid), simplified version by INBO (CC BY 4.0); Wallonia, Carte Numérique des Sols de Wallonie, Service public de Wallonie (SPW, CC BY 4.0). Topsoil lime: LUCAS, European Commission, JRC (ESDAC, Ballabio et al. 2019).