In Côte-d'Or, winter is cold everywhere, but it changes from one place to another. One winter in ten, it falls to about −14 °C in Dijon, on the Côte and in the Saône plain, −15 °C in the Hautes-Côtes, the Auxois and the Morvan, and −17 °C in the Châtillonnais and the Tille valley.
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
Dijon, the Côte and the Saône plain
Dijon, Chenôve, Longvic, Marsannay-la-Côte, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Beaune, Seurre, Auxonne
See the citrus trees for this area
The least cold part of the département, from Dijon to the Saône plain: −14 °C one winter in ten and −9 °C in an ordinary winter. Pagny-le-Château and Savigny-lès-Beaune stay at around −13 °C; Dijon (Toison d'Or) and Marsannay-la-Côte fall to around −16 °C. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors here without protection; the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas with a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall. Keep the other citrus trees in pots. The soil is often chalky.
Dijon (Toison d'Or)
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has shallow chalky soils, sands and chalky soils. 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 −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
Hautes-Côtes
Bligny-sur-Ouche, Bouilland, Bessey-en-Chaume, La Rochepot, Nolay
See the citrus trees for this area
The small valleys and plateaus behind the Côte, between 400 and 600 m: −15 °C one winter in ten and −10 °C in an ordinary winter. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors here without protection, only just: keep a fleece for exceptional nights. The other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas live here with a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall; keep the other citrus trees in pots. The soil is often chalky: in heavy soil, plant on a mound.
La Rochepot
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has shallow chalky soils, calcium-rich but barely chalky soils and river alluvium. 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.
−15 °Cone winter in ten
Auxois and Morvan
Semur-en-Auxois, Montbard, Vitteaux, Pouilly-en-Auxois, Arnay-le-Duc, Saulieu
See the citrus trees for this area
The hills of the Auxois and the edge of the Morvan: −15 °C one winter in ten and −10 °C in an ordinary winter. Montbard stays at −14.6 °C, but Pouilly-en-Auxois and Arnay-le-Duc fall to −16.3 °C and −16.7 °C. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors here without protection, only just: keep a fleece for exceptional nights. The other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas live here with a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall; keep the other citrus trees in pots. The soil is often chalky.
Pouilly-en-Auxois
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has calcium-rich but barely chalky soils, ordinary brown soils and silty 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.
−17 °Cone winter in ten
Châtillonnais, the Montagne and the Tille valley
Châtillon-sur-Seine, Recey-sur-Ource, Saint-Seine-l'Abbaye, Saint-Martin-du-Mont, Is-sur-Tille, Til-Châtel
See the citrus trees for this area
The limestone plateaus of the north and the Tille valley, the coldest part of the département: −17 °C one winter in ten and −12 °C in an ordinary winter. On 20 December 2009, Til-Châtel fell to −23.5 °C. Only citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live in the ground here, with a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall; keep the other citrus trees in pots, brought in for the winter.
Til-Châtel
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has calcium-rich but barely chalky soils and shallow 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 −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 Météo-France stations (winters 1996-1997 to 2025-2026)
| Station | Altitude | Ordinary winter | One winter in ten | Record | Winters at −9 °C or below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pagny-le-Château | 182 m | −8.1 °C | −12.8 °C | −17.8 °C (20 December 2009) | 15 out of 30 |
| Savigny-lès-Beaune | 246 m | −9.4 °C | −13.1 °C | −14.9 °C (30 December 2005) | 14 out of 26 |
| Marsannay-la-Côte | 280 m | −9.4 °C | −16 °C | −16 °C (30 December 2005) | 16 out of 24 |
| Dijon-Longvic | 219 m | −9.5 °C | −13.9 °C | −18.7 °C (20 December 2009) | 18 out of 30 |
| Montbard | 209 m | −9.5 °C | −14.6 °C | −16.7 °C (20 December 2009) | 19 out of 30 |
| Saulieu | 586 m | −9.6 °C | −12.9 °C | −13 °C (26 January 2000) | 13 out of 20 |
| Semur-en-Auxois | 314 m | −9.7 °C | −15.2 °C | −17.9 °C (20 December 2009) | 18 out of 28 |
| Bessey-en-Chaume | 593 m | −9.8 °C | −14.2 °C | −15.5 °C (20 December 2009) | 15 out of 24 |
| Pouilly-en-Auxois | 412 m | −9.9 °C | −16.3 °C | −18.2 °C (20 December 2009) | 20 out of 30 |
| Dijon (Toison d'Or) | 270 m | −10.5 °C | −15.8 °C | −19.4 °C (20 December 2009) | 15 out of 25 |
| Arnay-le-Duc | 396 m | −10.8 °C | −16.7 °C | −18.1 °C (20 December 2009) | 23 out of 30 |
| Saint-Martin-du-Mont | 578 m | −10.9 °C | −15 °C | −15.7 °C (20 December 2009) | 21 out of 30 |
| La Rochepot | 417 m | −11 °C | −15 °C | −18 °C (20 December 2009) | 22 out of 29 |
| Til-Châtel | 283 m | −11.8 °C | −17.1 °C | −23.5 °C (20 December 2009) | 23 out of 30 |
| Châtillon-sur-Seine | 262 m | −11.8 °C | −17.6 °C | −20.6 °C (20 December 2009) | 24 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. On 20 December 2009, Dijon-Longvic fell to −18.7 °C, Châtillon-sur-Seine to −20.6 °C and Til-Châtel to −23.5 °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 Côte-d'Or
- Choose the hardiest. With −14 °C to −17 °C one winter in ten, citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors without protection, except in the north of the département, where they need a fleece at each frost. The other yuzus (Yuzu 30, thornless, Tada Nishiki) and the hardiest satsumas live outdoors with a fleece, except in the north, where they stay in pots. The other citrus trees stay in pots everywhere.
- Avoid hollows. 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, Dijon-Longvic falls to −13.9 °C, Dijon (Toison d'Or) to −15.8 °C. Plant halfway up a slope or against a south-facing wall, never at the lowest point of the garden.
- Take care of drainage. The soil is often chalky throughout the département. In heavy soil, plant on a mound.
- Choose the rootstock for your soil. Poncirus is the most cold-resistant: it is the safest choice in Côte-d'Or. In chalky, dry soil, very common here, 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 Dijon?
No. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and Dijon-Longvic falls to around −10 °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. You will find them in Lemons and lemon substitutes.
Which citrus trees withstand the cold best in Côte-d'Or?
Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3, which withstand −15 °C. In Dijon, the Hautes-Côtes, the Auxois and the Morvan, they spend the winter outdoors without protection; in the Châtillonnais and the Tille valley, they live in the ground with a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall. The other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas live outdoors with a fleece in Dijon, the Hautes-Côtes, the Auxois and the Morvan; in the Châtillonnais and the Tille valley, keep them 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 Côte-d'Or, 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).