The yuzu (Citrus junos) is a Japanese citrus grown for its fragrance: a little zest or juice is enough to transform a sauce, a dessert or a marinade. It is also one of the hardiest citrus: our grafted yuzu trees are rated -12 °C, and Hana Yuzu -15 °C. We offer six of them, shipped within France and to 12 EU countries.
Our six yuzu compared
Hardiness and harvest as given on each variety page (as of 23 October 2026), for a mature, acclimatised plant during a short frost.
| Variety | Hardiness | Harvest (variety page) | Features (variety page) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yuzu | -12 °C | September to December | the basic yuzu, for zest and juice; 12 to 16 °Brix measured here |
| Yuzu 3 | -12 °C | September to December | powerful scent with a hint of bergamot; vigorous, very thorny, many seeds |
| Yuzu 30 | -12 °C | November to December | ripe here around late November, excellent fruit; vigorous, thorny, with seeds |
| Thornless Yuzu | -12 °C | September to December | less thorny growth: easier to prune and pick |
| Yuzu Tada Nishiki | -12 °C | September to February | known for very few seeds (not yet measured on our own fruit); vigorous, thorny |
| Hana Yuzu | -15 °C | September to December | small citrus related to yuzu (hanayu), the hardiest: -15 °C |
Which yuzu should you choose?
- For hardiness and fragrance: Yuzu 3, with a powerful scent and a hint of bergamot.
- For fruit we rate highly here: Yuzu 30, ripe around late November.
- For juicing and processing: Yuzu Tada Nishiki, sought after for its very few seeds. Our mother tree flowers and sets fruit, but the young fruit dropped during the summer heat three years running: we have not yet been able to measure its fruit ourselves.
- For a tree that is easier to handle: Thornless Yuzu.
- For the most hardiness: Hana Yuzu, a small citrus related to yuzu, rated -15 °C.
How hardy is yuzu?
-12 °C applies to a mature, acclimatised plant during a short frost. A young plant, or a yuzu in a pot, needs protecting sooner. To understand the figure: understanding citrus hardiness. Our yuzu are also listed under Hardy citrus, with the minimum temperature of every variety.
Which rootstock?
All our yuzu are offered grafted on Poncirus, 4475 or FA5, as available on each page. In cold areas, Poncirus goes dormant in winter; FA5 suits chalky, dry soils and 4475 acid soils. Our tool helps you decide: Which rootstock should you choose? The 5-step test.
Using yuzu
Yuzu is not eaten like an orange: it is used as a seasoning, for its zest and juice (sauces, ponzu, desserts, drinks), and for processing. The fruit can also be used before it has fully coloured, for a sharper taste.
Planting and protection
- Plant in spring, once the frosts are over.
- Mulch: in summer only, against drought, never touching the trunk. Pull it away from the base in late autumn: the moisture it holds in winter encourages phytophthora at the collar.
- Winter fleece: put it over young plants for each frost, and take it off as soon as the frost ends.
- From September, no fertiliser and no pruning: the tree needs to harden off before winter.
To help you choose: Find your citrus (4 questions, 3 plants in stock), Compare citrus side by side, A citrus fruit to pick every month and, for the rootstock, Which rootstock should you choose? The 5-step test.
Dispatched on Mondays with DPD. We ship within mainland France and to twelve European Union countries: Germany, Belgium, Spain, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden. Home delivery of 1 plant starts at €28.90 to Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands: see Delivery.
Our other Japanese citrus: Japanese citrus.