In the Finistère, the sea does almost everything. One winter in ten, the cold falls to about −4 °C on the islands and headlands, −7 °C in Quimper, Brest and Morlaix, and −8 °C in the Monts d'Arrée and the centre of the département.
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
Islands, headlands and exposed coasts
Ouessant, Île-de-Batz, Roscoff, Camaret-sur-Mer, Crozon, Audierne, Plogoff, Ploudalmézeau
See the citrus trees for this area
The sea keeps frost at bay: −4 °C one winter in ten, −1 °C in an ordinary winter. Ouessant (−1.3 °C) and the Île de Batz (−2.3 °C) barely freeze; the Crozon peninsula and the coastal Léon fall to −4 or −5 °C. All citrus trees spend the winter outdoors here without protection, lemon trees included; keep a fleece for exceptional nights. The salty wind is the real danger: plant sheltered by a hedge or a wall.
Ploudalmézeau
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.
−7 °Cone winter in ten
Quimper and Cornouaille
Quimper, Concarneau, Pont-l'Abbé, Fouesnant, Rosporden, Briec
See the citrus trees for this area
The south of the Finistère keeps mild winters: −7 °C one winter in ten, −4 °C in an ordinary winter. By the water, Trégunc stops at −6 °C; a few kilometres inland, Melgven falls to −8.5 °C. Orange trees, clementines, satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter outdoors here; lemon trees need a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall. The soil often stays wet in winter: plant on a mound.
Pont-l'Abbé
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet and clayey.
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 −7 °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 −7 °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 −4 °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 −4 °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.
−7 °Cone winter in ten
Brest, Morlaix and the inland Léon
Brest, Landerneau, Morlaix, Landivisiau, Lesneven, Sizun
See the citrus trees for this area
The west wind and the sea limit frost: −7 °C one winter in ten, −4 °C in an ordinary winter. Brest-Guipavas falls to −6.7 °C, Lanmeur and Pleyber-Christ, near Morlaix, to −7 °C. Orange trees, clementines, satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter outdoors here; lemon trees need a fleece at each frost. On the plateau, shelter them from the wind behind a hedge.
Ploudaniel (INRAE)
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown 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 −7 °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 −7 °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 −4 °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 −4 °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
Monts d'Arrée, Montagnes Noires and the Aulne valley
Carhaix-Plouguer, Châteaulin, Huelgoat, Châteauneuf-du-Faou, Pleyben, Brennilis
See the citrus trees for this area
Higher and far from the sea, the inland area freezes more: −8 °C one winter in ten, −5 °C in an ordinary winter. The Carhaix basin is the coldest: −9.5 °C one winter in ten and −12.5 °C recorded in January 1997. Orange trees, the hardiest clementines, satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter outdoors here; lemon trees and the other clementines need a fleece at each frost, sheltered by a south-facing wall. In the Carhaix basin, keep a fleece for nights of severe cold.
Carhaix
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ouessant (Stiff) | 64 m | 0.4 °C | −1.3 °C | −3.3 °C (28 February 2018) | 0 out of 30 |
| Île-de-Batz | 32 m | −0.2 °C | −2.3 °C | −3 °C (8 January 1997) | 0 out of 29 |
| Camaret-sur-Mer | 40 m | −1 °C | −4 °C | −6.2 °C (2 January 1997) | 0 out of 30 |
| Brignogan | 9 m | −1.3 °C | −3.6 °C | −3.8 °C (1 January 1997) | 0 out of 22 |
| Pointe du Raz | 67 m | −1.4 °C | −3.9 °C | −6.6 °C (2 January 1997) | 0 out of 29 |
| Ploudalmézeau | 40 m | −2.4 °C | −4.5 °C | −7 °C (28 February 2018) | 0 out of 28 |
| Sibiril | 52 m | −2.5 °C | −4.3 °C | −6.7 °C (2 January 1997) | 0 out of 30 |
| Lanvéoc | 81 m | −2.6 °C | −4.9 °C | −6.6 °C (2 January 1997) | 0 out of 30 |
| Trégunc | 25 m | −3.1 °C | −6 °C | −6.4 °C (28 February 2018) | 0 out of 23 |
| Landivisiau | 109 m | −3.6 °C | −5.9 °C | −8.4 °C (2 January 1997) | 0 out of 30 |
| Lanmeur | 53 m | −3.6 °C | −7 °C | −7.6 °C (2 January 1997) | 0 out of 30 |
| Sizun | 157 m | −3.9 °C | −6.8 °C | −9 °C (27 December 1996) | 1 out of 30 |
| Brest-Guipavas | 92 m | −4 °C | −6.7 °C | −7.2 °C (2 January 1997) | 0 out of 30 |
| Pleyber-Christ | 147 m | −4 °C | −7 °C | −8.3 °C (2 January 1997) | 0 out of 30 |
| Quimper | 82 m | −4.1 °C | −6.7 °C | −9.9 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 30 |
| Plomelin (INRAE) | 33 m | −4.1 °C | −6.8 °C | −9.2 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 30 |
| Ploudaniel (INRAE) | 76 m | −4.1 °C | −6.5 °C | −10.4 °C (1 January 1997) | 1 out of 30 |
| Edern | 150 m | −4.5 °C | −6.5 °C | −10.5 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 20 |
| Pont-l'Abbé | 17 m | −4.5 °C | −7 °C | −10.8 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 24 |
| Coray | 242 m | −4.8 °C | −7.6 °C | −10.7 °C (2 January 1997) | 2 out of 30 |
| Brennilis | 220 m | −5 °C | −7.8 °C | −10 °C (2 January 1997) | 2 out of 28 |
| Saint-Ségal | 89 m | −5.1 °C | −7.3 °C | −10.4 °C (2 January 1997) | 2 out of 30 |
| Plonévez-du-Faou | 163 m | −5.3 °C | −7.3 °C | −10 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 21 |
| Melgven | 83 m | −5.5 °C | −8.5 °C | −10.5 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 21 |
| Carhaix | 150 m | −6 °C | −9.5 °C | −12.5 °C (2 January 1997) | 4 out of 24 |
| Spézet | 138 m | −6.1 °C | −8.7 °C | −12.4 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 21 |
“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, Quimper fell to −9.9 °C and Carhaix to −12.5 °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 Finistère
- Make the most of the coast. Near the sea, conditions are favourable, but they change quickly: one winter in ten, Ouessant falls to −1.3 °C, Brest-Guipavas to −6.7 °C. Choose your citrus trees according to the nearest station.
- Shelter them from the wind and the salt spray. On the coasts and on the Léon plateau, the west wind damages the leaves. A hedge or a south-facing wall makes a real difference.
- Avoid hollows. Inland, cold air collects at the bottom of valleys: one winter in ten, Carhaix falls to −9.5 °C while Brennilis, higher up, stops at −7.8 °C. Plant halfway up a slope or against a south-facing wall, never at the lowest point of the garden.
- Take care of drainage. In Cornouaille, the soil often stays wet in winter. Plant on a mound. Choose the rootstock for your soil: our 5-step test helps you, 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 Brest?
Yes, with a fleece. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and Brest falls to −7 °C one winter in ten. Plant it against a south-facing wall, sheltered from the wind, and put a fleece on at each frost. On the islands and headlands, it spends the winter without protection; keep a fleece for exceptional nights. For a sour fruit without a fleece in Brest, 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 Finistère?
Everywhere in the département, satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter without protection. To have nothing to fear from very harsh winters, citranges withstand −15 °C. 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, the headlands and the exposed coasts, in Cornouaille and around Brest and Morlaix, they spend the winter outdoors without protection. In the Monts d'Arrée and the centre of the département, so do orange trees and the hardiest clementines; the other clementines need a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall.
My town is not listed: which area should I choose?
Take the nearest area, then compare with the nearest station in the table of readings. The further you are from the sea, the more it freezes. Take off one or two degrees if you are in a hollow or at the bottom of a valley.
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).