In the Bouches-du-Rhône, the winter cold changes a lot from one place to another. One winter in ten, it falls to about −6 °C in Marseille and on the coast, −8 °C in the Pays d'Arles, −9 °C around Aix and Aubagne and −11 °C in the Arc and Durance valleys.
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:
−6 °Cone winter in ten
Marseille, the coast and the Étang de Berre
Marseille, La Ciotat, Cassis, Carry-le-Rouet, Martigues, Marignane, Vitrolles, Istres
See the citrus trees for this area
The sea softens the winters: −6 °C one winter in ten, −4 °C in an ordinary winter. Cassis, above the sea, only falls to −5 °C one winter in ten, Marignane to −6.7 °C: choose according to the nearest station. Orange trees, clementines, satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter outdoors here; lemon trees too, with a fleece on frosty nights. The mistral and salt spray dry out the leaves: plant sheltered by a wall or a hedge.
Marignane (Marseille-Provence)
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has very thin soils over rock, shallow chalky soils and foot-of-slope soils. In practice, the soil is often chalky.
Rootstocks to favour: FA5, then C35.
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 −6 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.
-
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
-
Orisa 9 Tangor
down to −9 °C · €41.00
-
Yuzu 3
down to −15 °C · €38.00
-
Fukushu Kumquat
down to −10 °C · €32.30
See all 65 available plants that withstand −6 °C
Sold out for now: 46 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Ambersweet, Auline, Bendizao Mandarin, Corsican Mountain Orange, Dom Joao Orange, Fragola Orange, Hana Yuzu, Haruka, Harumi, Hassaku, Hyuganatsu, Iyo Mikan Tangor, Jabara, Juanita Mandarin, Kino Kuni Mikakukishu Mandarin, Mandalate Mandarin, Mapo Tangelo, Meiwa Kumquat, Minneola, Moro Orange, Nameiwa Kumquat, Natsudaidai, Ota 38 Tangor, Rio Red Grapefruit, Salustiana Orange, Sanbokan, Satsuma China S-3, Satsuma Dobashi Beni, Satsuma Iwasaki, Satsuma Kowano, Satsuma Louisiana, Satsuma Miho, Satsuma Pucheng, Satsuma Saigon, Satsuma Waze, Sciara x Clem Blood Tangor, Seminole, Setubalense Mandarin, Shunkokan, Thornless Yuzu, US SuperNa, Ugli, Vaniglia Sanguigno Orange, Wekiwa Tangelolo, Yuzu, Z194 Ichangensis x Sinensis.
In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights
They withstand −3 °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.
-
Eureka Lemon
down to −5 °C · €29.75
-
Lightly Variegated Tahiti Lime
down to −3 °C · €36.55
-
Lunario Lemon
down to −5 °C · €29.75
-
Makrut Lime
down to −5 °C · €32.30
-
Menton Lemon
down to −5 °C · €34.85
-
Meyer Lemon
down to −5 °C · €38.00
-
Tahiti Lime
down to −5 °C · €35.00
-
Verna Lemon
down to −5 °C · €35.00
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −3 °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.
−8 °Cone winter in ten
Pays d'Arles, Crau and Alpilles
Arles, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, Saint-Martin-de-Crau, Salon-de-Provence, Tarascon, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Châteaurenard
See the citrus trees for this area
The plains of the Rhône and the Crau, open to the mistral: −8 °C one winter in ten. Arles, near the Camargue, stays milder (−6.6 °C), Salon-de-Provence falls to −8.8 °C. Orange trees, the hardiest clementines, satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter outdoors here; lemon trees and the other clementines need a fleece, against a south-facing wall. A windbreak hedge against the mistral helps a lot.
Salon-de-Provence
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has waterlogged soils, fersialsol and river alluvium. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet.
Rootstocks to favour: Poncirus, then 4475.
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 −8 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.
-
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
-
Orisa 9 Tangor
down to −9 °C · €41.00
-
Yuzu 3
down to −15 °C · €38.00
-
Fukushu Kumquat
down to −10 °C · €32.30
See all 57 available plants that withstand −8 °C
Sold out for now: 43 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Ambersweet, Auline, Bendizao Mandarin, Corsican Mountain Orange, Dom Joao Orange, Fragola Orange, Hana Yuzu, Haruka, Harumi, Hassaku, Hyuganatsu, Jabara, Juanita Mandarin, Kino Kuni Mikakukishu Mandarin, Mapo Tangelo, Meiwa Kumquat, Minneola, Moro Orange, Nameiwa Kumquat, Natsudaidai, Ota 38 Tangor, Rio Red Grapefruit, Salustiana Orange, Sanbokan, Satsuma China S-3, Satsuma Dobashi Beni, Satsuma Iwasaki, Satsuma Kowano, Satsuma Louisiana, Satsuma Miho, Satsuma Pucheng, Satsuma Saigon, Satsuma Waze, Sciara x Clem Blood Tangor, Seminole, Setubalense Mandarin, Shunkokan, Thornless Yuzu, Ugli, Vaniglia Sanguigno Orange, Wekiwa Tangelolo, Yuzu, Z194 Ichangensis x Sinensis.
In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights
They withstand −5 °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.
-
Carvalhal Early Mandarin
down to −7 °C · €29.75
-
Star Ruby Grapefruit
down to −7 °C · €29.75
-
Bergamot Fantastico
down to −7 °C · €35.00
-
Tavares Limequat
down to −7 °C · €29.75
-
Early Clementine
down to −7 °C · €29.75
-
Moon Finger Lime
down to −7 °C · €41.00
-
Encore Mandarin
down to −7 °C · €35.00
-
Purple Finger Lime
down to −7 °C · €45.00
See all 15 available plants that withstand −5 °C
Sold out for now: 3 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Iyo Mikan Tangor, Mandalate Mandarin, US SuperNa.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −5 °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.
−9 °Cone winter in ten
Aix, Aubagne and the hills
Aix-en-Provence, Aubagne, Gémenos, Gardanne, Bouc-Bel-Air, Mimet, Vauvenargues
See the citrus trees for this area
The Aix basin, the Huveaune valley and the surrounding hills: −9 °C one winter in ten, −6 °C in an ordinary winter. Satsumas, yuzus, kumquats, citranges and the hardiest clementines spend the winter outdoors here; orange trees and the other clementines with a fleece; lemon trees in pots.
Mimet
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has chalky soils, river alluvium and shallow chalky soils. In practice, the soil is often chalky and clayey.
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 −9 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.
-
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
-
Orisa 9 Tangor
down to −9 °C · €41.00
-
Yuzu 3
down to −15 °C · €38.00
-
Fukushu Kumquat
down to −10 °C · €32.30
See all 38 available plants that withstand −9 °C
Sold out for now: 31 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Ambersweet, Auline, Bendizao Mandarin, Corsican Mountain Orange, Hana Yuzu, 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 Dobashi Beni, Satsuma Iwasaki, Satsuma Kowano, Satsuma Louisiana, Satsuma Miho, Satsuma Pucheng, Satsuma Saigon, Satsuma Waze, Setubalense Mandarin, Shunkokan, Thornless Yuzu, Yuzu.
In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights
They withstand −6 °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.
-
Fukumoto Orange
down to −8 °C · €35.00
-
Fina Clementine
down to −8 °C · €29.75
-
Enzo Grapefruit
down to −8 °C · €35.00
-
Murcott Tangor
down to −8 °C · €35.00
-
Citradia
down to −8 °C · €35.00
-
Tavares Limequat
down to −7 °C · €29.75
-
Cara Cara Orange
down to −8 °C · €35.00
-
Glauca
down to −8 °C · €38.00
See all 27 available plants that withstand −6 °C
Sold out for now: 15 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Dom Joao Orange, Fragola Orange, Hassaku, Iyo Mikan Tangor, Mandalate Mandarin, Moro Orange, Ota 38 Tangor, Salustiana Orange, Sciara x Clem Blood Tangor, Seminole, US SuperNa, Ugli, Vaniglia Sanguigno Orange, Wekiwa Tangelolo, Z194 Ichangensis x Sinensis.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −6 °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.
−11 °Cone winter in ten
Arc and Durance valleys
Peyrolles-en-Provence, Meyrargues, Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade, Trets, Rousset, Fuveau
See the citrus trees for this area
Valley bottoms collect cold air at night: −11 °C one winter in ten, −8 °C in an ordinary winter. Aix-les-Milles, in the Arc plain, falls to −12.8 °C one winter in ten, more than 4 °C below the centre of Aix (−8.6 °C). Citranges, yuzus and the hardiest satsumas spend the winter outdoors here; the other satsumas, kumquats, orange trees and the hardiest clementines need a fleece; lemon trees and the other clementines stay in pots. Plant on the slope rather than at the bottom of the plain.
Peyrolles-en-Provence
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has chalky soils, shallow chalky soils and river alluvium. In practice, the soil is often 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 −11 °C. In the first years, a fleece on nights below −5 °C is a sensible precaution.
-
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
-
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
See all 19 available plants that withstand −11 °C
Sold out for now: 12 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 Miho, Satsuma Saigon, Satsuma Waze, Thornless Yuzu, Yuzu.
In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights
They withstand −8 °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
-
Ermelo Orange
down to −10 °C · €47.00
-
Kishu Kino Kuni Mandarin
down to −10 °C · €42.00
-
Welker Grapefruit
down to −10 °C · €35.00
-
Kinkoji
down to −10 °C · €38.00
-
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 38 available plants that withstand −8 °C
Sold out for now: 31 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Corsican Mountain Orange, Dom Joao Orange, Fragola Orange, Haruka, Harumi, Hassaku, Hyuganatsu, Jabara, Juanita Mandarin, Kino Kuni Mikakukishu Mandarin, Mapo Tangelo, Meiwa Kumquat, Minneola, Moro Orange, Nameiwa Kumquat, Natsudaidai, Ota 38 Tangor, Rio Red Grapefruit, Salustiana Orange, Sanbokan, Satsuma China S-3, Satsuma Iwasaki, Satsuma Pucheng, Sciara x Clem Blood Tangor, Seminole, Setubalense Mandarin, Shunkokan, Ugli, Vaniglia Sanguigno Orange, Wekiwa Tangelolo, Z194 Ichangensis x Sinensis.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −8 °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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cassis | 212 m | −2 °C | −5 °C | −7.7 °C (11 February 2012) | 0 out of 29 |
| Istres | 23 m | −3.7 °C | −6.3 °C | −6.9 °C (5 February 2012) | 0 out of 30 |
| Arles | 1 m | −3.9 °C | −6.6 °C | −7.4 °C (23 November 1998) | 0 out of 30 |
| Marignane (Marseille-Provence) | 6 m | −4.2 °C | −6.7 °C | −9.5 °C (12 February 2012) | 1 out of 30 |
| Eyragues | 17 m | −5.1 °C | −8 °C | −9.9 °C (2 March 2005) | 1 out of 29 |
| Aubagne | 130 m | −5.2 °C | −8 °C | −11.1 °C (11 February 2012) | 1 out of 30 |
| Aix-en-Provence | 173 m | −5.7 °C | −8.6 °C | −10.6 °C (12 February 2012) | 1 out of 30 |
| Salon-de-Provence | 58 m | −6.3 °C | −8.8 °C | −10.9 °C (25 February 2005) | 2 out of 30 |
| Mimet | 416 m | −6.3 °C | −9.7 °C | −13.4 °C (7 February 2012) | 6 out of 30 |
| Vauvenargues | 565 m | −6.9 °C | −10 °C | −12.3 °C (11 February 2012) | 6 out of 30 |
| Trets | 264 m | −7.1 °C | −9.8 °C | −13 °C (11 February 2012) | 5 out of 29 |
| Peyrolles-en-Provence | 217 m | −8 °C | −11 °C | −14.1 °C (7 February 2012) | 8 out of 20 |
| Aix-les-Milles | 106 m | −8.6 °C | −12.8 °C | −13.2 °C (12 February 2012) | 8 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 February 2012, Marignane fell to −9.5 °C and Peyrolles-en-Provence to −14.1 °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 Bouches-du-Rhône
- Avoid hollows. Cold air flows down and collects at the bottom of valleys and in enclosed plains. The records show it: one winter in ten, Aix-les-Milles falls to −12.8 °C, while the centre of Aix stays at −8.6 °C. Plant halfway up a slope or against a south-facing wall, never at the lowest point of the garden.
- Shelter from the mistral. This cold, dry wind dries out the leaves in winter. A hedge, a wall or a fence on the north-west side protects the tree.
- Choose the rootstock for your soil. In chalky, dry soil, very common in Provence, FA5 does best. Poncirus is the most cold-resistant and copes with drought better than 4475. In heavy soil, plant on a mound. Our 5-step test helps you choose: Which rootstock should you choose?
- Water in summer. Summers are dry: a citrus tree in the ground needs regular, deep watering, especially in the first years.
- 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 Marseille?
Yes, with a fleece. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and the coast falls to −6 °C one winter in ten. Plant it against a south-facing wall, sheltered from the mistral, and cover it at each frost. In the Pays d'Arles, do the same. Around Aix and in the Arc and Durance valleys, keep it in a pot. For a safer sour fruit, choose a yuzu or a hardy lemon substitute instead. You will find them in Lemons and lemon substitutes.
Which citrus trees withstand the cold best in the Bouches-du-Rhône?
On the coast, in the Pays d'Arles and around Aix, satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter without protection. In the Arc and Durance valleys, at −11 °C one winter in ten, citranges, yuzus and the hardiest satsumas manage without it; the other satsumas and kumquats need a fleece there. They are brought together in Hardy citrus.
What about orange trees and clementines?
They withstand −7 to −9 °C depending on the variety. On the coast, orange trees and clementines spend the winter outdoors without protection. In the Pays d'Arles, so do orange trees and the hardiest clementines; the other clementines need a fleece. Around Aix, the hardiest clementines manage without protection; orange trees and the other clementines need a fleece at each frost, sheltered by a south-facing wall. In the Arc and Durance valleys, orange trees and the hardiest clementines live outdoors with a fleece; keep the other clementines in pots.
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. Near the sea, winter is milder; in an enclosed plain or at the bottom of a valley, take off one or two degrees.
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).