Winters in Luxembourg are colder than people think. One winter in ten, the cold reaches about −15 to −16 °C in the Gutland, around Luxembourg City, about −16 to −17 °C in the Moselle valley, where cold air settles, and about −17 °C in the Oesling, in the north.
We went through thirty winters of records, from 1996 to 2026: those of MeteoLux at Luxembourg-Findel, and those of the nearest Belgian, German and French stations. We compared them with the hardiness of each of our plants. To be frank: in Luxembourg, most citrus trees are grown in pots. In the ground, only the hardiest ones, with a fleece on frosty nights. Type your town or 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:
−16 °Cone winter in ten
The Gutland: Luxembourg City, the south and the centre
Rambrouch, Helperknapp, Groussbus-Wal, Habscht, Kehlen, Niederanven, Mersch, Beckerich
See the citrus trees for this area
The south and the centre of the country, around Luxembourg City, are the mildest areas: one winter in ten, the cold reaches about −15 to −16 °C. At Luxembourg-Findel, the airport station, the cold of one winter in ten is −14.9 °C, and the record of the last thirty winters −15.9 °C, on 1 January 1997. Plant against a south-facing wall, sheltered from the east wind.
Luxembourg-Findel
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 Moselle and the east: Remich, Grevenmacher, Echternach
Rosport-Mompach, Junglinster, Biwer, Bech, Schengen, Bous-Waldbredimus, Wormeldange, Consdorf
See the citrus trees for this area
The Moselle valley is mild in summer, but cold air flows down and settles there on clear winter nights: at Perl-Nennig, on the German bank opposite Schengen, the cold of one winter in ten reaches −17.7 °C. On the slopes, a few dozen metres above the river, it is often less cold: plant halfway up a slope rather than by the water.
Luxembourg-Findel
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.
−17 °Cone winter in ten
The Oesling, the north: Clervaux, Wiltz, Vianden, Diekirch
Wincrange, Clervaux, Bourscheid, Parc Hosingen, Esch-sur-Sûre, Weiswampach, Tandel, Lac de la Haute-Sûre
See the citrus trees for this area
Higher and more exposed, the Oesling is the coldest part of the country: one winter in ten, the cold reaches about −17 °C, and Olsdorf, just across the German border, recorded −18 °C on 24 December 2001. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live here in the ground with a fleece at each frost, in a very sheltered spot, against a south-facing wall; the other citrus trees stay in pots.
Olsdorf
In open ground, without protection
They withstand −17 °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 −14 °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 −14 °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 weather stations (winters 1996-1997 to 2025-2026)
| Station | Altitude | Ordinary winter | One winter in ten | Record | Winters at −9 °C or below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luxembourg-Findel | 376 m | −10.2 °C | −14.9 °C | −15.9 °C (1 January 1997) | 20 out of 30 |
| Buzenol (Belgium) | 324 m | −11.3 °C | −15.6 °C | −16.4 °C (5 February 2012) | 17 out of 22 |
| Villette (France) | 345 m | −9.4 °C | −13.6 °C | −14.8 °C (20 December 2009) | 18 out of 29 |
| Olsdorf (Germany) | 328 m | −10.7 °C | −17.5 °C | −18 °C (24 December 2001) | 20 out of 26 |
| Perl-Nennig (Germany) | 152 m | −11.6 °C | −17.7 °C | −17.9 °C (7 February 2012) | 19 out of 22 |
| Trier-Zewen (Germany) | 132 m | −8.6 °C | −14.7 °C | −15.1 °C (7 February 2012) | 9 out of 20 |
| Saint-Hubert (Belgium) | 557 m | −11.1 °C | −16.1 °C | −16.4 °C (1 January 1997) | 24 out of 29 |
| Schneifelforsthaus (Germany) | 653 m | −11.1 °C | −16.4 °C | −17.9 °C (19 December 2009) | 25 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.
The cold of each town is estimated from the nearby stations, less than 40 km away, and from the altitude. Luxembourg has only one weather station with thirty years of public daily records, the one at Findel airport: stations in the neighbouring countries complete the calculation near the borders.
Very harsh winters are still possible. At Findel, the lowest temperature of the last thirty winters is −15.9 °C, on 1 January 1997; just across the border, Olsdorf fell to −18 °C on 24 December 2001. 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. To see the cold of the whole region, open our cold map.
Our advice for Luxembourg
- Avoid hollows. Cold air flows down and collects at the bottom of valleys. The records show it: one winter in ten, Perl-Nennig, on the banks of the Moselle, falls to −17.7 °C, and Findel, on the plateau, to −14.9 °C. Plant halfway up a slope or against a south-facing wall, never at the lowest point of the garden.
- Shelter from the east wind. Severe cold comes with the dry, icy east wind. 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 Luxembourg City?
No. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and Findel falls to −14.9 °C one winter in ten. Keep them in pots, outdoors from spring to autumn and indoors in winter, in a bright, frost-free room. You will find them in Lemons and lemon substitutes.
Which citrus trees best withstand the cold in Luxembourg?
The hardiest of our plants, such as citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3, which withstand −15 °C. Throughout the country, they live in the ground with a fleece at each frost; in the Oesling, choose a very sheltered spot, against a south-facing wall. They are gathered in Hardy citrus.
What about orange trees, clementines, the other yuzus and kumquats?
They withstand −7 to −12 °C depending on the variety. That is too close everywhere in Luxembourg: keep them in pots, indoors in winter in a bright, frost-free room.
How do I find out the cold in my town?
Type its name or postcode in the search at the top of the page: the map gives the estimated cold of each of the country's hundred towns, for each level of caution. Take off one or two degrees if your garden is 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 Luxembourg, see our Delivery page. A question about your plot? Write to us.
Sources: MeteoLux (Administration de la navigation aérienne), daily records from Luxembourg-Findel (data.public.lu, CC0 1.0), and the neighbouring stations: Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium (CC BY 4.0), Deutscher Wetterdienst (Datenlizenz Deutschland 2.0), Météo-France (Licence Ouverte 2.0); towns and boundaries: Administration du cadastre et de la topographie (data.public.lu, CC0 1.0), town names: Wikidata; postcodes: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0); altitudes: Copernicus DEM GLO-90 (© DLR, Airbus, European Union and ESA); soils: soil association map 1:100,000, Administration des services techniques de l'agriculture (ASTA, data.public.lu, CC0 1.0). Topsoil lime: LUCAS, European Commission, JRC (ESDAC, Ballabio et al. 2019).