In the Dordogne, the winter cold changes from one place to another, especially between the plateaus and the bottom of the valleys. One winter in ten, it falls to about −10 °C in Périgueux, −11 °C in the Périgord vert and the Périgord noir, and −12 °C in the Bergeracois and the low valleys of the west.
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:
−10 °Cone winter in ten
Périgueux and the Périgord blanc
Périgueux, Coulounieix-Chamiers, Trélissac, Saint-Astier, Ribérac, Verteillac, Thenon
See the citrus trees for this area
The least cold part of the département: −10 °C one winter in ten and −7 °C in an ordinary winter. Saint-Martial-Viveyrols stays at −8.7 °C, while Saint-Martin-de-Ribérac, lower down, falls to −11.5 °C. Satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter outdoors here; orange trees and clementines need a fleece on frosty nights, against a south-facing wall. Lemon trees stay in pots. The soil is often chalky, sometimes clay: plant on a mound.
Thenon
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has shallow chalky soils, foot-of-slope soils and fersialsol. 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 −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
-
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
Périgord vert: Nontron, Thiviers and Excideuil
Nontron, Thiviers, Brantôme-en-Périgord, Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière, Excideuil, Lanouaille
See the citrus trees for this area
The Périgord vert, in the north, rises gently towards the Limousin: −11 °C one winter in ten and −7 °C in an ordinary winter. Saint-Martin-de-Fressengeas stays at −10.1 °C, Sarrazac falls to −11.5 °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 at each frost, against a south-facing wall. Lemon trees and the other clementines stay in pots. The soil is often acid.
Sarrazac
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, acid soils and shallow chalky soils. In practice, the soil is often acid.
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 −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.
−11 °Cone winter in ten
Périgord noir: Sarlat and the Vézère valley
Sarlat-la-Canéda, Montignac-Lascaux, Les Eyzies, Le Bugue, Salignac-Eyvigues, Belvès, Domme
See the citrus trees for this area
The Vézère and Dordogne valleys hold the cold air: −11 °C one winter in ten and −7 °C in an ordinary winter. Les Eyzies, at the bottom of the Vézère valley (112 m), falls to −13.5 °C, while Salignac-Eyvigues and Belvès, higher up, stay at around −11 °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, halfway up a slope rather than at the bottom of a valley. Lemon trees and the other clementines stay in pots. The soil is often chalky, sometimes wet in winter.
Les Eyzies
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has foot-of-slope soils, soils waterlogged part of the year and chalky soils. In practice, the soil is often chalky and winter-wet.
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.
−12 °Cone winter in ten
Bergeracois and the Isle and Dronne valleys
Bergerac, Lalinde, Port-Sainte-Foy-et-Ponchapt, Lamothe-Montravel, Mussidan, Montpon-Ménestérol, Saint-Aulaye
See the citrus trees for this area
The low valleys of the west are the coldest one winter in ten: −12 °C, and −8 °C in an ordinary winter. Bergerac fell to −17.1 °C in February 2012. Citranges, yuzus and the hardiest satsumas spend the winter outdoors here; the other satsumas, kumquats and the hardiest clementines need a fleece; lemon trees, orange trees and the other clementines stay in pots. The soil, often silty, stays wet in winter: plant on a mound.
Bergerac
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has silty soils and shallow chalky soils. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet, silty 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 −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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint-Martial-Viveyrols | 166 m | −5.9 °C | −8.7 °C | −12.6 °C (9 February 2012) | 1 out of 30 |
| Coulounieix-Chamiers (Périgueux) | 217 m | −6.2 °C | −10 °C | −13.8 °C (9 February 2012) | 2 out of 22 |
| Saint-Martin-de-Fressengeas | 277 m | −6.5 °C | −10.1 °C | −11.8 °C (9 February 2012) | 3 out of 20 |
| Belvès | 238 m | −6.7 °C | −11 °C | −14 °C (9 February 2012) | 5 out of 30 |
| Lamothe-Montravel | 9 m | −6.8 °C | −12.5 °C | −12.5 °C (30 December 1996) | 6 out of 24 |
| Thenon | 265 m | −6.9 °C | −9.2 °C | −14.3 °C (9 February 2012) | 2 out of 20 |
| Saint-Martin-de-Ribérac | 142 m | −7 °C | −11.5 °C | −14 °C (9 February 2012) | 5 out of 21 |
| Sarrazac | 305 m | −7 °C | −11.5 °C | −13 °C (8 February 2012) | 4 out of 21 |
| Salignac-Eyvigues | 276 m | −7.3 °C | −11.1 °C | −14.4 °C (9 February 2012) | 6 out of 22 |
| Port-Sainte-Foy-et-Ponchapt | 28 m | −7.5 °C | −11.5 °C | −16 °C (9 February 2012) | 6 out of 20 |
| Bergerac | 49 m | −7.8 °C | −12 °C | −17.1 °C (9 February 2012) | 9 out of 30 |
| Mussidan | 59 m | −8 °C | −12 °C | −16.5 °C (9 February 2012) | 10 out of 25 |
| Saint-Aulaye | 64 m | −8 °C | −12.5 °C | −15 °C (9 February 2012) | 12 out of 24 |
| Les Eyzies | 112 m | −8.8 °C | −13.5 °C | −15 °C (9 February 2012) | 15 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 9 February 2012, Bergerac fell to −17.1 °C, Mussidan to −16.5 °C and Les Eyzies to −15.0 °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 Dordogne
- Avoid the bottom of valleys. Cold air flows down and collects in valleys and basins. The records show it: one winter in ten, Les Eyzies, at the bottom of the Vézère valley, falls to −13.5 °C, while Salignac-Eyvigues, higher up, stays at −11.1 °C. Plant halfway up a slope or against a south-facing wall, never at the lowest point of the garden.
- Beware of the low valleys of the west. Around Bergerac, Mussidan and Saint-Aulaye, the cold of one winter in ten reaches −12 °C, lower than in Périgueux. Choose the hardiest citrus trees there.
- Take care of drainage. The soil is often chalky around Périgueux and in the Périgord noir, and often wet in winter in the Bergeracois. In chalky or heavy soil, plant on a mound.
- Choose the rootstock for your soil. Poncirus is the most cold-resistant. In chalky, dry soil, FA5 does better. In the Périgord vert, where the soil is often acid, 4475 adapts well, in a large hole with improved soil, with more water in summer. 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 Périgueux?
Not without risk. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and Périgueux falls to around −6 °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 Dordogne?
Citranges, which withstand −15 °C, spend the winter without protection throughout the département. So do yuzus. Around Périgueux, satsumas and kumquats also manage without it. Elsewhere, only the hardiest satsumas do: the other satsumas and kumquats need a fleece at each frost. They are brought together in Hardy citrus.
What about orange trees and clementines?
They withstand −7 to −9 °C depending on the variety. Around Périgueux, they can be grown in the ground with a fleece on frosty nights, sheltered by a south-facing wall. In the Périgord vert and the Périgord noir, orange trees and the hardiest clementines hold out with a fleece. In the Bergeracois and the low valleys of the west, only the hardiest clementines hold out with a fleece. Keep the others 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).