In the Aisne, winter is cold everywhere, a little less so in the north-west. One winter in ten, it falls to about −13 °C around Saint-Quentin and Chauny, −14 °C in the Soissonnais and the Thiérache, and −16 °C around Laon.
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.
- −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
Saint-Quentin, Chauny and the Oise valley
Saint-Quentin, Chauny, Tergnier, La Fère, Ribemont, Bohain-en-Vermandois
See the citrus trees for this area
The least cold part of the département: −13 °C one winter in ten and −8 °C in an ordinary winter. Chauny, in the Oise valley, is the mildest station: −12.2 °C one winter in ten. On this silty soil, citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors without protection; satsumas, the other yuzus and kumquats with a fleece, against a south-facing wall. Orange trees and clementines stay in pots.
Saint-Quentin
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has silty soils and shallow chalky soils. In practice, the soil is often 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 −13 °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 −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.
-
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
-
Ichang Lemon Shangyuan
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
Fukushu Kumquat
down to −10 °C · €32.30
-
US 119
down to −12 °C · €35.00
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
Soissonnais and the Marne valley
Soissons, Château-Thierry, Villers-Cotterêts, Braine, Fère-en-Tardenois, Charly-sur-Marne
See the citrus trees for this area
Plateaus cut by the valleys of the Aisne, the Vesle and the Marne: −14 °C one winter in ten. The soil here is often wet and clay in winter: plant on a mound. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors here without protection; the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas with a fleece. The other citrus trees stay in pots.
Braine
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has river alluvium, ordinary brown 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 −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
Thiérache
Vervins, Hirson, Guise, La Capelle, Le Nouvion-en-Thiérache
See the citrus trees for this area
A country of hedged fields, in the north-east: −14 °C one winter in ten and −9 °C in an ordinary winter, on silty soil. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors here without protection; the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas with a fleece. The other citrus trees stay in pots. Choose the sunniest spot in the garden, against a south-facing wall.
Fontaine-lès-Vervins
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has silty soils and ordinary brown soils. In practice, the soil is often 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 −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.
−16 °Cone winter in ten
Laon and the Laonnois
Laon, Crécy-sur-Serre, Marle, Sissonne, Craonne
See the citrus trees for this area
The coldest part of the département: −16 °C one winter in ten, and −18.7 °C recorded at Nizy-le-Comte in February 2012. The soil here is often chalky. Only citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live here in the ground, with a fleece on very cold nights; the other citrus trees stay in pots.
Nizy-le-Comte
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has chalky soils, very acid sands and shallow chalky soils. In practice, the soil is often chalky and silty.
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 −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 Météo-France stations (winters 1996-1997 to 2025-2026)
| Station | Altitude | Ordinary winter | One winter in ten | Record | Winters at −9 °C or below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chauny | 83 m | −7.4 °C | −12.2 °C | −14 °C (7 January 2009) | 9 out of 29 |
| Blesmes | 222 m | −7.4 °C | −13.7 °C | −14 °C (7 January 2009) | 12 out of 30 |
| Saint-Quentin | 98 m | −7.8 °C | −14.4 °C | −16.4 °C (7 January 2009) | 12 out of 30 |
| Aulnois-sous-Laon | 78 m | −8 °C | −15.5 °C | −17 °C (7 January 2009) | 11 out of 30 |
| Braine | 61 m | −8.5 °C | −14.8 °C | −15.7 °C (1 January 1997) | 11 out of 30 |
| Fontaine-lès-Vervins | 186 m | −8.6 °C | −14.4 °C | −16 °C (7 January 2009) | 10 out of 30 |
| Martigny-Courpierre | 95 m | −9.5 °C | −15.5 °C | −16 °C (1 January 1997) | 12 out of 20 |
| Nizy-le-Comte | 90 m | −9.8 °C | −15 °C | −18.7 °C (4 February 2012) | 16 out of 28 |
| Gizy | 75 m | −10 °C | −16 °C | −18 °C (4 February 2012) | 17 out of 20 |
“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, Saint-Quentin fell to −16.4 °C and Aulnois-sous-Laon to −17.0 °C; in February 2012, Nizy-le-Comte recorded −18.7 °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 Aisne
- Avoid hollows. Cold air flows down and collects at the bottom of valleys. The records show it: one winter in ten, Braine, in the Vesle valley, falls to −14.8 °C, while Blesmes, on the plateau near Château-Thierry, stays at −13.7 °C. Plant halfway up a slope or against a south-facing wall, never at the lowest point of the garden.
- Rely on the hardiest ones. With −13 to −16 °C one winter in ten, citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter without protection, except around Laon, where they need a fleece. The other yuzus (Yuzu 30, thornless, Tada Nishiki) and the hardiest satsumas live outdoors with a fleece everywhere except around Laon; around Saint-Quentin, so do all satsumas and kumquats. The other citrus trees are grown in pots, brought in for the winter and protected from frost.
- Take care of drainage. In the Soissonnais, the soil is often clay and wet in winter. In heavy soil, plant on a mound.
- Choose the rootstock for your soil. Poncirus is the most cold-resistant. Around Laon, the soil is often chalky: FA5 adapts better to it. 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 Saint-Quentin?
No. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and Saint-Quentin falls to −13 °C one winter in ten and to around −8 °C in an ordinary winter. Keep them in pots, brought in for the winter to a bright room protected from frost. For a sour fruit in the ground, try a citrange, a hardy lemon substitute, Yuzu or Yuzu 3: they spend the winter outdoors without protection; the other yuzus need a fleece. You will find them in Lemons and lemon substitutes.
Which citrus trees withstand the cold best in the Aisne?
The hardiest ones, such as citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3, spend the winter without protection around Saint-Quentin, in the Soissonnais and in the Thiérache; around Laon, give them a fleece on very cold nights. The other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas cope with a fleece everywhere except around Laon, where they stay in pots; around Saint-Quentin, so do 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 not enough for the Aisne. Keep them in pots, outdoors in the warm season and brought in for the winter, protected from frost.
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 one or two degrees if you are at the bottom of a valley or in a basin.
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).