In the Cher, the winter cold changes from one place to another. One winter in ten, it falls to about −12 °C in Bourges and the Champagne berrichonne, as in the Pays Fort and the Sancerrois, −13 °C in the south of the département, around Saint-Amand-Montrond, and −14 °C in the Sologne.
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:
−12 °Cone winter in ten
Bourges and Champagne berrichonne
Bourges, Saint-Doulchard, Mehun-sur-Yèvre, Avord, Graçay, Saint-Martin-d'Auxigny
See the citrus trees for this area
The open plain around Bourges: −12 °C one winter in ten and −8 °C in an ordinary winter. Bourges stays at −11.3 °C; Étréchy, further east, falls to −13.2 °C. Citranges, yuzus and the hardiest satsumas spend the winter outdoors here; the other satsumas, kumquats and the hardiest clementines need a fleece, against a south-facing wall. Lemon trees, orange trees and the other clementines stay in pots.
Graçay
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has calcium-rich but barely chalky soils and silty soils. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet, clayey and silty.
Rootstocks to favour: Poncirus, then 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 −12 °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
-
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
-
Satsuma Owari FS
down to −12 °C · €42.00
See all 17 available plants that withstand −12 °C
Sold out for now: 11 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 Saigon, Satsuma Waze, Thornless Yuzu, Yuzu.
In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights
They withstand −9 °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
-
Shekwasha
down to −11 °C · €34.85
-
Changshan Huyou
down to −11 °C · €38.00
-
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 21 available plants that withstand −9 °C
Sold out for now: 20 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Corsican Mountain Orange, 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 Iwasaki, Satsuma Miho, Satsuma Pucheng, Setubalense Mandarin, Shunkokan.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −9 °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.
−12 °Cone winter in ten
Pays Fort, Sancerrois and the Loire valley
Sancerre, Saint-Satur, Henrichemont, Léré, Belleville-sur-Loire, Vailly-sur-Sauldre
See the citrus trees for this area
The hills of the Pays Fort and the Sancerrois, and the Loire valley: −12 °C one winter in ten and −9 °C in an ordinary winter. Henrichemont and Léré stay at around −12 °C; Vailly-sur-Sauldre falls to −13.5 °C. Citranges, yuzus and the hardiest satsumas spend the winter outdoors here; the other satsumas, kumquats and the hardiest clementines need a fleece at each frost. Lemon trees, orange trees and the other clementines stay in pots. The soil often stays wet in winter: plant on a mound.
Vailly-sur-Sauldre
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, silty soils and river alluvium. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet, clayey and silty.
Rootstocks to favour: Poncirus, then 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 −12 °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
-
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
-
Satsuma Owari FS
down to −12 °C · €42.00
See all 17 available plants that withstand −12 °C
Sold out for now: 11 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 Saigon, Satsuma Waze, Thornless Yuzu, Yuzu.
In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights
They withstand −9 °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
-
Shekwasha
down to −11 °C · €34.85
-
Changshan Huyou
down to −11 °C · €38.00
-
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 21 available plants that withstand −9 °C
Sold out for now: 20 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Corsican Mountain Orange, 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 Iwasaki, Satsuma Miho, Satsuma Pucheng, Setubalense Mandarin, Shunkokan.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −9 °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.
−13 °Cone winter in ten
Saint-Amand, Boischaut and the Aubois valley
Saint-Amand-Montrond, Orval, Châteauneuf-sur-Cher, Dun-sur-Auron, Sancoins, Châteaumeillant, Lignières, Le Châtelet
See the citrus trees for this area
The south of the département, hillier, from the Boischaut to the Aubois valley: −13 °C one winter in ten and −9 °C in an ordinary winter. Lignières stays at −12.0 °C; Châteaumeillant and Le Châtelet fall to around −14 °C. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors here; the other yuzus, satsumas and kumquats need a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall. The other citrus trees stay in pots. The soil often stays wet in winter, and is sometimes chalky: take care of drainage.
Dun-sur-Auron
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, shallow chalky soils and silty soils. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet, clayey and chalky.
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 −13 °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 −10 °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
-
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
-
Ichang Lemon Shangyuan
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
Fukushu Kumquat
down to −10 °C · €32.30
-
US 119
down to −12 °C · €35.00
See all 27 available plants that withstand −10 °C
Sold out for now: 25 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Ambersweet, Auline, Bendizao Mandarin, Corsican Mountain Orange, 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.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −10 °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.
−14 °Cone winter in ten
Vierzon and the Sologne
Vierzon, Aubigny-sur-Nère, Nançay, Neuvy-sur-Barangeon, Argent-sur-Sauldre
See the citrus trees for this area
The Sologne is the coldest part of the département: −14 °C one winter in ten and −9 °C in an ordinary winter. Vierzon stays at −12.6 °C, but Nançay and Neuvy-sur-Barangeon fall to −14.5 °C and −15.1 °C. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors here; the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas live here with a fleece at each frost. Keep the other citrus trees in pots. The soil is often acid and wet in winter: plant on a mound.
Neuvy-sur-Barangeon
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has very acid sands, soils waterlogged part of the year and river alluvium. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet and acid.
Rootstocks to favour: Poncirus, then 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 −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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bourges | 161 m | −7.1 °C | −11.3 °C | −13.1 °C (1 January 1997) | 9 out of 30 |
| Graçay | 108 m | −7.6 °C | −11.7 °C | −16.5 °C (6 February 2012) | 11 out of 27 |
| Vierzon | 98 m | −7.6 °C | −12.6 °C | −13.1 °C (5 February 2012) | 12 out of 30 |
| Saint-Martin-d'Auxigny | 172 m | −7.8 °C | −11.8 °C | −13.4 °C (2 January 1997) | 9 out of 29 |
| Avord | 175 m | −7.9 °C | −12.4 °C | −12.7 °C (2 January 1997) | 10 out of 30 |
| Henrichemont | 377 m | −8 °C | −12 °C | −13 °C (2 January 1997) | 11 out of 30 |
| Aubigny-sur-Nère | 176 m | −8 °C | −12.7 °C | −13.7 °C (2 January 1997) | 10 out of 30 |
| Ourouer-les-Bourdelins | 221 m | −8 °C | −13.1 °C | −14.1 °C (12 January 1999) | 12 out of 30 |
| Ourouer-les-Bourdelins (2) | 253 m | −8.1 °C | −12.1 °C | −13 °C (12 February 2012) | 9 out of 24 |
| Préveranges | 462 m | −8.2 °C | −12.6 °C | −13.3 °C (1 March 2005) | 13 out of 29 |
| Lignières | 191 m | −8.6 °C | −12 °C | −14 °C (9 February 2012) | 13 out of 26 |
| Orval | 165 m | −8.7 °C | −12.7 °C | −13.6 °C (9 February 2012) | 12 out of 24 |
| Léré | 139 m | −8.7 °C | −12.2 °C | −13.3 °C (9 February 2012) | 14 out of 29 |
| Dun-sur-Auron | 160 m | −8.9 °C | −13.8 °C | −15.3 °C (12 February 2012) | 15 out of 30 |
| Sancoins | 203 m | −8.9 °C | −13.5 °C | −14.5 °C (15 December 2001) | 15 out of 30 |
| Étréchy | 194 m | −9 °C | −13.2 °C | −14 °C (2 January 1997) | 13 out of 24 |
| Châteaumeillant | 243 m | −9.4 °C | −14 °C | −14.8 °C (7 February 2012) | 19 out of 30 |
| Le Châtelet | 210 m | −9.5 °C | −13.9 °C | −14.7 °C (26 January 2007) | 11 out of 20 |
| Vailly-sur-Sauldre | 197 m | −10 °C | −13.5 °C | −17 °C (2 January 1997) | 16 out of 26 |
| Nançay | 142 m | −10.3 °C | −14.5 °C | −15 °C (1 March 2005) | 18 out of 24 |
| Neuvy-sur-Barangeon | 154 m | −11 °C | −15.1 °C | −15.8 °C (2 January 1997) | 18 out of 22 |
“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 early January 1997, Bourges fell to −13.1 °C and Vailly-sur-Sauldre to −17.0 °C. In February 2012, Graçay recorded −16.5 °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 Cher
- Avoid low points. Cold air flows down and collects at the bottom of valleys and in basins. The cold varies a lot over short distances: one winter in ten, Vierzon stays at −12.6 °C, but Nançay and Neuvy-sur-Barangeon, in the Sologne, fall to −14.5 °C and −15.1 °C. Plant halfway up a slope or against a south-facing wall, never at the lowest point of the garden.
- Take care of drainage. In the Sologne, the Boischaut and the Pays Fort, the soil often stays wet in winter. Plant on a mound and avoid places where water lies.
- Choose the rootstock for your soil. Poncirus is the most cold-resistant: it is the safest choice in the Cher. In the Sologne, where the soil is often acid, 4475 adapts well, in a large hole with improved soil. 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 Bourges?
No. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and Bourges falls to around −7 °C in an ordinary winter. Keep them in pots, brought in for the winter. For a sour fruit in the ground, 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 Cher?
Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3, which withstand −15 °C, spend the winter without protection throughout the département. Around Bourges, in the Pays Fort and the Sancerrois, the other yuzus (Yuzu 30, thornless, Tada Nishiki) and the hardiest satsumas also manage without it; in the south of the département and in the Sologne, they need a fleece on frosty nights. Kumquats hold out with a fleece, except in the Sologne, where 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. In the Cher, the cold of one winter in ten falls to −12 °C or lower. Around Bourges, in the Pays Fort and the Sancerrois, only the hardiest clementines can try the ground, with a fleece, against a south-facing wall. Elsewhere, and for orange trees, 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).