In the Aube, winters are cold for citrus trees, and the cold changes from one place to another. One winter in ten, it falls to about −14 °C in the Nogentais and the Pays d'Othe, −15 °C around the Forêt d'Orient lakes and on the Côte des Bar, and −16 °C in the Champagne crayeuse (the chalk plain) and in Troyes.
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:
−14 °Cone winter in ten
Nogentais and Pays d'Othe
Nogent-sur-Seine, Romilly-sur-Seine, Marcilly-le-Hay, Estissac, Aix-en-Othe, Ervy-le-Châtel
See the citrus trees for this area
The west of the département, from the Seine valley to the Pays d'Othe, is the least cold part: −14 °C one winter in ten and −10 °C in an ordinary winter. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live here in the ground without protection; the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas need a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall. The other citrus trees stay in pots. Marcilly-le-Hay falls lower, to −16.4 °C. The soil, often silty, is sometimes chalky: in heavy soil, plant on a mound.
Chessy-les-Prés
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has shallow chalky soils, ordinary brown soils and silty soils. In practice, the soil is often chalky and silty.
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.
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
Forêt d'Orient lakes and Brienne
Brienne-le-Château, Piney, Lusigny-sur-Barse, Mesnil-Saint-Père, Vendeuvre-sur-Barse
See the citrus trees for this area
Around the Forêt d'Orient lakes, in the wet Champagne: −15 °C one winter in ten and −10 °C in an ordinary winter. The soil, often silty, stays wet in winter: take care of drainage and plant on a mound. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live here in the ground without protection; the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas need a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall. The other citrus trees stay in pots.
Mesnil-Saint-Père
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has soils waterlogged part of the year, silty soils and chalky soils. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet and silty.
Rootstock to favour: Poncirus.
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.
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
-
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.
−15 °Cone winter in ten
Côte des Bar
Bar-sur-Aube, Bar-sur-Seine, Les Riceys, Essoyes, Mussy-sur-Seine
See the citrus trees for this area
The vineyard slopes, from Bar-sur-Aube to Les Riceys: −15 °C one winter in ten and −10 °C in an ordinary winter. The valley bottoms are clearly colder than the slopes: one winter in ten, Les Riceys (185 m) falls to −18.5 °C and the hillside station (274 m) to −15.6 °C. The soil is chalky: plant halfway up a slope, on a mound. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live here in the ground without protection; the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas need a fleece on frosty nights. The other citrus trees stay in pots.
Vitry-le-Croisé
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has chalky soils, river alluvium and calcium-rich but barely chalky 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.
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
-
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
Champagne crayeuse and Arcis-sur-Aube
Arcis-sur-Aube, Méry-sur-Seine, Plancy-l'Abbaye, Ramerupt, Villette-sur-Aube
See the citrus trees for this area
The open chalk plain in the north: −16 °C one winter in ten and −10 °C in an ordinary winter. The soil here is chalky. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter here with a fleece on very cold nights; keep the other citrus trees in pots, brought in for the winter.
Dosnon
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has chalky soils, shallow chalky soils and histosol. 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 −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
Troyes and its surroundings
Troyes, Sainte-Savine, La Chapelle-Saint-Luc, Saint-André-les-Vergers, Barberey-Saint-Sulpice, Saint-Pouange
See the citrus trees for this area
Troyes and its outskirts: −16 °C one winter in ten and −11 °C in an ordinary winter. Troyes-Barberey fell to −21.8 °C in January 1997. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter here with a fleece on very cold nights, against a south-facing wall; the other citrus trees stay in pots. The soil is chalky: plant on a mound.
Troyes-Barberey
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has shallow chalky soils and chalky 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 −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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celles-sur-Ource | 275 m | −7.9 °C | −15 °C | −15 °C (1 March 2005) | 10 out of 22 |
| Mathaux | 145 m | −8.9 °C | −13.2 °C | −18 °C (2 January 1997) | 15 out of 30 |
| Saint-Mards-en-Othe | 227 m | −9 °C | −13.4 °C | −21.3 °C (2 January 1997) | 16 out of 30 |
| Bouy-sur-Orvin | 102 m | −9.1 °C | −13.6 °C | −14.6 °C (19 December 2009) | 16 out of 30 |
| Romilly-sur-Seine | 77 m | −9.6 °C | −14.4 °C | −18.3 °C (2 January 1997) | 18 out of 30 |
| Colombé-la-Fosse | 252 m | −9.7 °C | −14.5 °C | −16.5 °C (20 December 2009) | 16 out of 26 |
| Chessy-les-Prés | 119 m | −9.8 °C | −13.9 °C | −22.2 °C (2 January 1997) | 17 out of 30 |
| Cunfin | 315 m | −9.9 °C | −14.4 °C | −17.3 °C (20 December 2009) | 17 out of 30 |
| Ailleville | 195 m | −9.9 °C | −15.1 °C | −19.7 °C (20 December 2009) | 20 out of 30 |
| Mesnil-Saint-Père | 142 m | −10 °C | −15 °C | −20.5 °C (2 January 1997) | 19 out of 30 |
| Villette-sur-Aube | 98 m | −10 °C | −15 °C | −18 °C (2 January 1997) | 17 out of 21 |
| Troyes-Barberey | 112 m | −10.2 °C | −15.4 °C | −21.8 °C (2 January 1997) | 19 out of 30 |
| Montreuil-sur-Barse | 150 m | −10.5 °C | −15.7 °C | −19.8 °C (2 January 1997) | 16 out of 22 |
| Marcilly-le-Hay | 128 m | −10.5 °C | −16.4 °C | −19 °C (2 January 1997) | 18 out of 23 |
| Vitry-le-Croisé | 237 m | −10.8 °C | −18.8 °C | −21.3 °C (20 December 2009) | 16 out of 24 |
| Saint-Pouange | 122 m | −10.9 °C | −16.9 °C | −19.5 °C (2 January 1997) | 16 out of 24 |
| Dosnon | 115 m | −10.9 °C | −16.2 °C | −19.3 °C (20 December 2009) | 20 out of 30 |
| Les Riceys (2) | 274 m | −11.5 °C | −15.6 °C | −19.5 °C (2 January 1997) | 18 out of 26 |
| Les Riceys | 185 m | −11.9 °C | −18.5 °C | −20.1 °C (2 January 1997) | 17 out of 21 |
“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 1997, Troyes-Barberey fell to −21.8 °C and Chessy-les-Prés to −22.2 °C; in December 2009, Vitry-le-Croisé recorded −21.3 °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 Aube
- Avoid hollows. Cold air flows down and collects at the bottom of valleys. The records show it: one winter in ten, Les Riceys falls to −18.5 °C at the bottom of the valley and to −15.6 °C on the hillside. Plant halfway up a slope or against a south-facing wall, never at the lowest point of the garden.
- Choose very hardy citrus. In the Nogentais, the Pays d'Othe, around the Forêt d'Orient lakes and on the Côte des Bar (−14 to −15 °C one winter in ten), citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live in the ground without protection; the other yuzus (Yuzu 30, thornless, Tada Nishiki) and the hardiest satsumas need a fleece on frosty nights. In the Champagne crayeuse and in Troyes (−16 °C), only citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live in the ground, with a fleece. The other citrus trees are grown in pots, brought in for the winter.
- In chalky or heavy soil, plant on a mound. The soil is chalky in the Champagne crayeuse, in Troyes and on the Côte des Bar. Around the Forêt d'Orient lakes, it stays wet in winter: take care of drainage.
- Choose the rootstock for your soil. 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, once the frosts are over. The tree then has a whole season to take root before its first winter.
- 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 Troyes?
No. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and Troyes falls to around −11 °C in an ordinary winter. Keep them in pots, brought in for the winter. For a sour fruit in the ground, choose a hardy lemon substitute instead, with a fleece. You will find them in Lemons and lemon substitutes.
Which citrus trees withstand the cold best in the Aube?
Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3, which withstand −15 °C. They spend the winter without protection in the Nogentais, the Pays d'Othe, around the Forêt d'Orient lakes and on the Côte des Bar; in the Champagne crayeuse and in Troyes, with a fleece on frosty nights. In the first three of these areas, the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas also live in the ground, with a fleece; elsewhere, they stay in pots. 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 Aube, even with a fleece. Keep them in pots, brought in for the winter to a bright room 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 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. 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).