In the Côtes-d'Armor, the sea softens the winter, but the cold changes a lot between the coast and inland. One winter in ten, it falls to about −4 °C on the islands and headlands, −6 °C in Saint-Brieuc and the Trégor, −8 °C in the Argoat and −9 °C in the Lamballe and Dinan areas.
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:
−4 °Cone winter in ten
Coastal islands and headlands
Île-de-Bréhat, Perros-Guirec, Trégastel, Ploubazlanec, Saint-Quay-Portrieux, Erquy, Saint-Cast-le-Guildo
See the citrus trees for this area
The islands and headlands, bathed by the sea, are the mildest: −4 °C one winter in ten and −1 °C in an ordinary winter. Bréhat only falls to −2.1 °C, Ploumanac'h to −3.6 °C, Saint-Cast-le-Guildo to −4.5 °C. Lemon trees, orange trees, clementines, satsumas and yuzus spend the winter outdoors here without protection; keep a fleece for lemon trees on nights of severe cold. Shelter them from the sea wind, behind a hedge or a wall.
Saint-Cast-le-Guildo
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, silty soils and thin acid soils.
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 −4 °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 72 available plants that withstand −4 °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 −1 °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 −1 °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.
−6 °Cone winter in ten
Saint-Brieuc, Trégor and Goëlo
Saint-Brieuc, Plérin, Langueux, Lannion, Tréguier, Pontrieux, Paimpol
See the citrus trees for this area
The bay of Saint-Brieuc and the Trégor, still softened by the sea: −6 °C one winter in ten and −4 °C in an ordinary winter. Orange trees, clementines, satsumas and yuzus spend the winter outdoors here; lemon trees need a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall. The soil, often silty, sometimes stays wet in winter.
Saint-Brieuc
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has silty soils and ordinary brown soils. In practice, the soil is often silty and 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 −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
Argoat: Guingamp and Centre Bretagne
Guingamp, Louargat, Callac, Rostrenen, Corlay, Guerlédan, Loudéac, Merdrignac
See the citrus trees for this area
Inland, higher and further from the sea: −8 °C one winter in ten and −5 °C in an ordinary winter. Caurel stays at −6.8 °C, Plœuc-sur-Lié falls to −10.5 °C. Orange trees, the hardiest clementines, satsumas, yuzus and citranges spend the winter outdoors here; the other clementines and lemon trees need a fleece, against a south-facing wall.
Plœuc-sur-Lié
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils and silty soils.
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 −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
Lamballe and Dinan areas
Lamballe-Armor, Jugon-les-Lacs, Broons, Caulnes, Le Quiou, Évran, Dinan
See the citrus trees for this area
The inland east of the département is the coldest: −9 °C one winter in ten and −6 °C in an ordinary winter; Le Quiou falls to −9.7 °C. Satsumas, yuzus, kumquats, citranges and the hardiest clementines spend the winter outdoors here; orange trees and the other clementines need a fleece on frosty nights. Lemon trees stay in pots. The soil often stays wet in winter: take care of drainage.
Le Quiou
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils and silty soils. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet and silty.
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 −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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Île-de-Bréhat | 25 m | 0.1 °C | −2.1 °C | −2.6 °C (2 January 1997) | 0 out of 27 |
| Ploumanac'h (Perros-Guirec) | 55 m | −1.4 °C | −3.6 °C | −4.9 °C (11 February 2012) | 0 out of 30 |
| Saint-Cast-le-Guildo | 35 m | −2.2 °C | −4.5 °C | −8 °C (2 January 1997) | 0 out of 30 |
| Pommerit-Jaudy | 55 m | −3.2 °C | −5.8 °C | −7.4 °C (2 January 1997) | 0 out of 29 |
| Lannion (airport) | 85 m | −3.6 °C | −6.3 °C | −7.1 °C (28 February 2018) | 0 out of 30 |
| Lanleff | 78 m | −3.9 °C | −7 °C | −8 °C (2 January 1997) | 0 out of 30 |
| Saint-Brieuc | 135 m | −4.1 °C | −6.6 °C | −11.1 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 30 |
| Caurel | 150 m | −4.2 °C | −6.8 °C | −8.1 °C (11 February 2012) | 0 out of 26 |
| Kerpert | 281 m | −4.6 °C | −8.1 °C | −12.8 °C (2 January 1997) | 2 out of 30 |
| Rostrenen | 236 m | −4.8 °C | −8.4 °C | −11.7 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 30 |
| Plouguenast | 235 m | −5 °C | −8.4 °C | −12.4 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 30 |
| Loudéac | 130 m | −5 °C | −7.7 °C | −11 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 24 |
| Merdrignac | 145 m | −5.1 °C | −7.6 °C | −8.3 °C (12 January 2010) | 0 out of 28 |
| Quintenic | 71 m | −5.6 °C | −8.6 °C | −11.9 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 30 |
| Caulnes | 75 m | −5.7 °C | −8.2 °C | −8.7 °C (11 February 2012) | 0 out of 29 |
| Louargat | 148 m | −6 °C | −9.6 °C | −11.1 °C (2 January 1997) | 2 out of 20 |
| Le Quiou | 20 m | −7 °C | −9.7 °C | −12 °C (2 January 1997) | 5 out of 24 |
| Plœuc-sur-Lié | 196 m | −7 °C | −10.5 °C | −13 °C (2 January 1997) | 6 out of 24 |
“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 2 January 1997, Saint-Brieuc fell to −11.1 °C and Plœuc-sur-Lié to −13.0 °C, while Bréhat stayed at −2.6 °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 Côtes-d'Armor
- On the coast, make the most of the sea. The islands and headlands are the mildest part of the département: −4 °C one winter in ten. Choose your citrus trees according to the cold in your garden and shelter them from the sea wind, behind a hedge or a wall.
- Avoid hollows. Cold air flows down and collects at the bottom of valleys and in basins. The cold varies over short distances: one winter in ten, Plœuc-sur-Lié falls to −10.5 °C while Plouguenast, very close by, stays at −8.4 °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 Lamballe and Dinan areas and around Saint-Brieuc, the soil often stays wet in winter. In heavy soil, plant on a mound.
- Choose the rootstock for your soil. Poncirus is the most cold-resistant: inland and in the east of the département, it is the safest choice. On the milder coast, choose mainly according to your 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 Saint-Brieuc?
Yes, with a fleece. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and Saint-Brieuc falls to −6.6 °C one winter in ten. Plant them against a south-facing wall and put a fleece on at each frost. On the islands and headlands, they spend the winter outdoors without protection; keep a fleece for nights of severe cold. You will find them in Lemons and lemon substitutes.
Which citrus trees withstand the cold best in the Côtes-d'Armor?
Yuzus and citranges, which withstand −12 to −15 °C, spend the winter without protection throughout the département. So do satsumas and kumquats. 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 and headlands, in Saint-Brieuc and in the Trégor, they spend the winter outdoors without protection. In the Argoat, so do orange trees and the hardiest clementines; the other clementines need a fleece on frosty nights, sheltered by a south-facing wall. In the Lamballe and Dinan areas, only the hardiest clementines do without; orange trees and the other clementines hold out with a fleece.
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).