In the Doubs, the winter cold changes a lot with altitude. One winter in ten, it falls to about −18 °C in Besançon and the valleys, −22 °C on the first plateaus and −25 °C in the Haut-Doubs, from Pontarlier to Maîche.
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:
−18 °Cone winter in ten
Besançon and the Doubs and Loue valleys
Besançon, Châtillon-le-Duc, École-Valentin, Dannemarie-sur-Crête, Saint-Vit, Arc-et-Senans, Quingey
See the citrus trees for this area
The least cold part of the département, below 400 m: −18 °C one winter in ten and −11 °C in an ordinary winter. Besançon stays at −14.2 °C, but cold air collects in low ground: Arc-et-Senans, on the banks of the Loue, falls to −19.5 °C, and at Pouligney-Lusans and Saône, in hollows, the cold falls to −22 °C one winter in ten. 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. In hollows, even citranges are too borderline. The soil is sometimes chalky.
Pouligney-Lusans
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, river alluvium and calcium-rich but barely 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 −18 °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 −15 °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 −15 °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.
−22 °Cone winter in ten
First plateaus: Valdahon, Vercel and Sancey
Valdahon, Vercel-Villedieu-le-Camp, Adam-lès-Vercel, Épenoy, Pierrefontaine-les-Varans, Sancey
See the citrus trees for this area
The first plateaus, from 490 to 750 m: −22 °C one winter in ten and −14 °C in an ordinary winter. Even Épenoy, the least cold station, falls to −17.3 °C. All citrus trees stay in pots here, brought in for the winter. The soil is often chalky, sometimes clay.
Pierrefontaine-les-Varans
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, calcium-rich but barely chalky soils and river alluvium. In practice, the soil is often chalky, clayey and silty.
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 −22 °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 −19 °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.
No plant available in this range for now.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −19 °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.
−25 °Cone winter in ten
Haut-Doubs: Pontarlier, Levier and Mouthe
Pontarlier, Levier, Frasne, Labergement-Sainte-Marie, Malbuisson, Mouthe
See the citrus trees for this area
The high plateau, from 700 to 950 m: −25 °C one winter in ten and −18 °C in an ordinary winter. Mouthe recorded −28.1 °C in February 1999, Levier −27.0 °C in February 2003. All citrus trees stay in pots here, brought in for the winter. The soil is chalky and clay, often wet.
Mouthe
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has chalky soils, calcium-rich but barely chalky soils and ordinary brown soils. In practice, the soil is often chalky, winter-wet, clayey and silty.
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 −25 °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 −22 °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.
No plant available in this range for now.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −22 °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.
−25 °Cone winter in ten
Haut-Doubs: Maîche plateau and Morteau
Maîche, Charquemont, Le Russey, Morteau, Villers-le-Lac
See the citrus trees for this area
The Maîche plateau and the Morteau valley: −25 °C one winter in ten and −19 °C in an ordinary winter. Morteau, at the bottom of the valley (760 m), falls as low as Maîche and Le Russey, higher up; Charquemont stays at −22.4 °C. All citrus trees stay in pots here, brought in for the winter. The soil is chalky and clay.
Maîche
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, silty soils and calcium-rich but barely chalky soils. In practice, the soil is often chalky, clayey, silty and winter-wet.
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 −25 °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 −22 °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.
No plant available in this range for now.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −22 °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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Besançon | 306 m | −9.6 °C | −14.2 °C | −17.7 °C (20 December 2009) | 18 out of 30 |
| Châtillon-le-Duc | 341 m | −10 °C | −15 °C | −18 °C (20 December 2009) | 18 out of 25 |
| Arc-et-Senans | 235 m | −10.2 °C | −19.5 °C | −20 °C (30 December 2005) | 21 out of 30 |
| Dannemarie-sur-Crête | 267 m | −10.9 °C | −16.5 °C | −19.5 °C (20 December 2009) | 19 out of 23 |
| Épenoy | 752 m | −11.8 °C | −17.3 °C | −18.8 °C (5 February 2012) | 28 out of 30 |
| Pouligney-Lusans | 286 m | −13.5 °C | −22 °C | −23 °C (20 December 2009) | 23 out of 25 |
| Sancey | 490 m | −14.2 °C | −21.2 °C | −22 °C (20 December 2009) | 20 out of 22 |
| Saône | 397 m | −14.3 °C | −22.2 °C | −22.4 °C (24 December 2001) | 22 out of 23 |
| Adam-lès-Vercel | 665 m | −14.5 °C | −22.2 °C | −22.9 °C (2 March 2005) | 23 out of 24 |
| Charquemont | 884 m | −16 °C | −22.4 °C | −24 °C (5 February 2012) | 29 out of 30 |
| Pontarlier | 808 m | −16.4 °C | −22.7 °C | −26.2 °C (1 February 2003) | 29 out of 30 |
| Pierrefontaine-les-Varans | 695 m | −17.3 °C | −24 °C | −25 °C (1 February 2003) | 29 out of 30 |
| Labergement-Sainte-Marie | 863 m | −18 °C | −25 °C | −25.5 °C (30 December 2005) | 30 out of 30 |
| Levier | 713 m | −18.3 °C | −25.7 °C | −27 °C (1 February 2003) | 29 out of 30 |
| Le Russey | 891 m | −18.5 °C | −25 °C | −26 °C (25 January 2000) | 29 out of 29 |
| Maîche | 825 m | −19.6 °C | −25.2 °C | −26.8 °C (1 March 2005) | 30 out of 30 |
| Morteau | 760 m | −20.2 °C | −25.1 °C | −25.1 °C (25 January 2000) | 20 out of 20 |
| Mouthe | 940 m | −21 °C | −27 °C | −28.1 °C (12 February 1999) | 30 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 12 February 1999, Mouthe recorded −28.1 °C. On 1 February 2003, Levier fell to −27.0 °C and Pontarlier to −26.2 °C. On 20 December 2009, Besançon fell to −17.7 °C and Pouligney-Lusans, in a hollow very close by, to −23.0 °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 Doubs
- Avoid the bottom of valleys. Cold air flows down and collects in valleys and basins. The records show it: one winter in ten, Pouligney-Lusans, in low ground at 286 m, falls to −22.0 °C and Arc-et-Senans, on the banks of the Loue at 235 m, to −19.5 °C, while Besançon, at 306 m, stays at −14.2 °C. Plant halfway up a slope or against a south-facing wall, never at the lowest point of the garden.
- Take altitude into account. On the plateaus and in the Haut-Doubs, the cold of one winter in ten ranges from −17.3 °C at Épenoy to −27.0 °C at Mouthe. No citrus tree spends the winter outdoors there: grow them in pots and bring them in before the frosts.
- Take care of drainage. The soil is often chalky and clay on the plateaus. In chalky or heavy soil, plant on a mound.
- Choose the rootstock for your soil. If you try a citrange in the ground in Besançon, 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.
- 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 Besançon?
No. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and Besançon falls to around −10 °C in an ordinary winter. Keep them in pots, brought in for the winter. For a sour fruit, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 can be tried in the ground around Besançon, with a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall; the other yuzus (Yuzu 30, thornless, Tada Nishiki) and the hardy lemon substitutes are grown in pots. You will find them in Lemons and lemon substitutes.
Which citrus trees withstand the cold best in the Doubs?
Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3, which withstand −15 °C. One winter in ten, the cold falls to −18 °C around Besançon and in the valleys: they live in the ground there with a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall. On the plateaus and in the Haut-Doubs, colder still, even 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. Throughout the Doubs, keep them in pots, brought in for the winter.
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).