In Charente-Maritime, the winter cold depends mainly on the distance from the sea. One winter in ten, it falls to about −6 °C on the islands of Ré and Oléron, −8 °C in La Rochelle and on the coast, −10 °C in Saintonge and −11 °C in the north of the département.
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
Islands of Ré and Oléron
Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron, Le Château-d'Oléron, Saint-Georges-d'Oléron, Saint-Denis-d'Oléron, Saint-Martin-de-Ré, Ars-en-Ré, La Couarde-sur-Mer, Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré
See the citrus trees for this area
The islands, surrounded by the sea, are the mildest part of the département: −6 °C one winter in ten, −3 °C in an ordinary winter. At Chassiron, at the tip of Oléron, the records show only −5.2 °C one winter in ten. Orange trees, clementines, satsumas, yuzus, citranges and kumquats spend the winter outdoors here; lemon trees with a fleece on frosty nights. Shelter young plants from the wind and the salt spray; the soil, often chalky and clay, needs a mound where it stays wet in winter.
La Couarde-sur-Mer
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has soils over clay, waterlogged in winter, sodisalisol and sands. In practice, the soil is often chalky, winter-wet, clayey and silty.
Rootstocks to favour: Poncirus, then FA5. 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 −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
La Rochelle, Rochefort and Royan
La Rochelle, Aytré, Châtelaillon-Plage, Fouras, Rochefort, Marennes, Royan, Saint-Georges-de-Didonne
See the citrus trees for this area
The coast, from La Rochelle to Royan: −8 °C one winter in ten, −5 °C in an ordinary winter. La Rochelle only falls to −7.4 °C; the marshes around Rochefort are colder, down to −9.2 °C at Saint-Laurent-de-la-Prée. Orange trees, the hardiest clementines, satsumas, yuzus, citranges and kumquats spend the winter outdoors here; lemon trees and the other clementines need a fleece, against a south-facing wall.
Royan-Médis
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has sodisalisol and chalky soils. In practice, the soil is often chalky, clayey and salty (sea spray, marshes).
Rootstock to favour: 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 −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.
−10 °Cone winter in ten
Saintes and Haute-Saintonge
Saintes, Pons, Jonzac, Saint-Genis-de-Saintonge, Montendre, Montlieu-la-Garde, Montguyon
See the citrus trees for this area
Inland Saintonge, further from the sea: −10 °C one winter in ten, −6 °C in an ordinary winter. Satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter outdoors here; orange trees and clementines with a fleece; lemon trees stay in pots. The soil is often chalky and clay, more acid in places towards Montlieu-la-Garde: in heavy soil, plant on a mound.
Montlieu-la-Garde
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has chalky soils, soils over clay, waterlogged in winter and very acid sands. In practice, the soil is often chalky, winter-wet, acid and clayey.
Rootstocks to favour: Poncirus, then FA5. 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 −10 °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
-
Yuzu 3
down to −15 °C · €38.00
-
Fukushu Kumquat
down to −10 °C · €32.30
-
Morton Citrange
down to −15 °C · €35.00
See all 32 available plants that withstand −10 °C
Sold out for now: 27 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Ambersweet, Auline, Bendizao Mandarin, Corsican Mountain Orange, Hana Yuzu, 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, Yuzu.
In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights
They withstand −7 °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
-
Clemenules Clementine
down to −9 °C · €35.00
-
Marsh Seedless Grapefruit
down to −9 °C · €29.75
-
Kabosu
down to −9 °C · €38.00
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Orisa 9 Tangor
down to −9 °C · €41.00
-
Yuko
down to −9 °C · €38.00
-
Tavares Limequat
down to −7 °C · €29.75
-
Cara Cara Orange
down to −8 °C · €35.00
See all 33 available plants that withstand −7 °C
Sold out for now: 19 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Dom Joao Orange, Fragola Orange, Haruka, Hassaku, Hyuganatsu, Iyo Mikan Tangor, Mandalate Mandarin, Mapo Tangelo, Moro Orange, Natsudaidai, 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 −7 °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
Aunis, Marais poitevin and the Saint-Jean-d'Angély area
Marans, Surgères, Tonnay-Boutonne, Saint-Jean-d'Angély, Matha, Aulnay
See the citrus trees for this area
The north of the département, from the Marans marshes to the plains of Saint-Jean-d'Angély: −11 °C one winter in ten, −7 °C in an ordinary winter. The plains in the east are the coldest, down to −11.8 °C at Villiers-Couture. Citranges, yuzus and the hardiest satsumas spend the winter outdoors here; the other satsumas, kumquats, orange trees and the hardiest clementines with a fleece, sheltered by a south-facing wall. Keep lemon trees and the other clementines in pots. The soil is chalky, often clay, and wet in winter in the marshes: plant on a mound.
Villiers-Couture
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has shallow chalky soils, salty coastal soils and chalky soils. In practice, the soil is often chalky, clayey, winter-wet and silty.
Rootstocks to favour: Poncirus, then FA5. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chassiron (Oléron) | 11 m | −1.6 °C | −5.2 °C | −7.1 °C (29 December 1996) | 0 out of 30 |
| Le Château-d'Oléron | 3 m | −3 °C | −5.6 °C | −7.9 °C (29 December 1996) | 0 out of 29 |
| La rochelle | 4 m | −4 °C | −7.4 °C | −9 °C (29 December 1996) | 1 out of 21 |
| La Couarde-sur-Mer | 3 m | −4.1 °C | −7.7 °C | −8.8 °C (1 March 2005) | 0 out of 21 |
| Saint-Agnant | 18 m | −4.6 °C | −8.4 °C | −9.2 °C (29 December 1996) | 1 out of 29 |
| La Rochelle-Île de Ré (airport) | 20 m | −4.9 °C | −8.1 °C | −9.2 °C (1 March 2005) | 1 out of 26 |
| Saint-Laurent-de-la-Prée (INRAE) | 3 m | −5.3 °C | −9.2 °C | −9.4 °C (1 March 2005) | 3 out of 30 |
| Saintes | 38 m | −5.4 °C | −9.4 °C | −11.6 °C (12 February 2012) | 4 out of 30 |
| Royan-Médis | 12 m | −5.5 °C | −9.2 °C | −9.5 °C (7 January 2026) | 4 out of 29 |
| Marans | 2 m | −5.5 °C | −9.9 °C | −10.7 °C (12 February 2012) | 4 out of 30 |
| Saint-Germain-de-Lusignan | 71 m | −5.8 °C | −9.5 °C | −11.6 °C (12 February 2012) | 4 out of 30 |
| Montlieu-la-Garde | 89 m | −6.4 °C | −10 °C | −14.5 °C (11 February 2012) | 7 out of 30 |
| Matha | 38 m | −6.9 °C | −10.6 °C | −13.2 °C (12 February 2012) | 8 out of 30 |
| Nuaillé-sur-Boutonne | 36 m | −7 °C | −10.6 °C | −13.4 °C (9 February 2012) | 6 out of 29 |
| Villiers-Couture | 106 m | −7 °C | −11.8 °C | −13.5 °C (29 February 2004) | 10 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.
Very harsh winters are still possible. In February 2012, Montlieu-la-Garde fell to −14.5 °C, Saintes to −11.6 °C and Marans to −10.7 °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 Charente-Maritime
- On the islands and the coast, choose according to the minimum temperature. The coast offers favourable conditions, but it is not uniform: one winter in ten, Chassiron falls to −5.2 °C and Royan-Médis to −9.2 °C. Rely on the station nearest to you.
- Beware of the marshes. Cold air collects in low ground. The records show it: one winter in ten, Saint-Laurent-de-la-Prée, in the Rochefort marshes, falls to −9.2 °C and Marans to −9.9 °C, against −7.4 °C in La Rochelle. Plant on slightly higher ground or against a south-facing wall.
- Shelter from the wind and the salt spray. By the sea, a hedge or a wall protects the leaves of young plants.
- Choose the rootstock for your soil. The soil is often chalky and clay, and wet in winter in the marshes: plant on a mound. 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. 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 La Rochelle?
Yes, with a fleece. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C; La Rochelle falls to −4 °C in an ordinary winter and to −7.4 °C one winter in ten. Plant it against a south-facing wall and put a fleece on at each frost. On the islands of Ré and Oléron too, it lives in the ground with a fleece at each frost. For a sour fruit in the ground in La Rochelle, a yuzu spends the winter outdoors. See Lemons and lemon substitutes.
Which citrus trees withstand the cold best in Charente-Maritime?
Citranges spend the winter without protection throughout the département. So do yuzus. Satsumas do without it on the islands, on the coast and in Saintonge; in the north, only the hardiest ones do, and the others need a fleece. Kumquats spend the winter outdoors everywhere except in the north, where they need a fleece. 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 islands, they spend the winter without protection. On the coast, so do orange trees and the hardiest clementines; put a fleece on the other clementines on frosty nights, sheltered by a south-facing wall. In Saintonge, they hold out with a fleece. In the north of the département, orange trees and the hardiest clementines hold out with a fleece; keep the others 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. 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).