In Haute-Garonne, the winter cold changes a lot from one place to another. One winter in ten, it falls to about −9 °C in Toulouse, −10 °C in the Lauragais, −11 °C in the Comminges and −14 °C in the Luchon 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.
Our nursery is in Haute-Garonne, at Lavernose-Lacasse, south of Muret. You can collect your plants there by appointment: choose “Click & Collect - collection at our nursery” when you place your order. See Delivery.
- −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:
−9 °Cone winter in ten
Toulouse and the Garonne plain
Toulouse, Blagnac, Colomiers, Tournefeuille, Muret, Fronton, Grenade, Villemur-sur-Tarn
See the citrus trees for this area
The mildest part of the département: −9 °C one winter in ten and −6 °C in an ordinary winter. The centre of Toulouse freezes less than the countryside, but the low parts of the plain, at Muret-Lherm or Villematier, fall 1.5 to 2.5 °C lower than Toulouse-Blagnac one winter in ten. Satsumas, yuzus, kumquats, citranges and the hardiest clementines spend the winter outdoors here; so do orange trees and the other clementines, with a fleece on frosty nights, against a south-facing wall. Lemon trees stay in pots.
Muret-Lherm
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has silty soils, soils waterlogged part of the year and river alluvium. 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.
−10 °Cone winter in ten
Lauragais
Villefranche-de-Lauragais, Revel, Saint-Félix-Lauragais, Caraman, Nailloux
See the citrus trees for this area
Hillsides colder than the plain, swept by the autan wind: −10 °C one winter in ten and −6 °C in an ordinary winter, a little lower towards Ségreville. Satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter outdoors here; orange trees and clementines need a fleece, and lemon trees stay in pots. The terreforts, clay soils that are often chalky, hold water: plant on a mound, especially if the soil is heavy.
Ségreville
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has chalky soils, river alluvium and ordinary brown soils. In practice, the soil is often chalky.
Rootstocks to favour: FA5, then C35.
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
Comminges, Volvestre and Savès
Saint-Gaudens, Montréjeau, Cazères, Carbonne, Rieumes, L'Isle-en-Dodon, Aurignac
See the citrus trees for this area
The foothills are wetter and colder: −11 °C one winter in ten and −8 °C in an ordinary winter. Citranges, yuzus and the hardiest satsumas spend the winter outdoors here; the other satsumas, kumquats, orange trees and the hardiest clementines need a fleece, sheltered by a south-facing wall; lemon trees and the other clementines stay in pots. Take care of drainage: the alluvial soils often stay wet in winter.
Palaminy
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has river alluvium and silty 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 −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.
−14 °Cone winter in ten
Luchon valley and the mountains
Bagnères-de-Luchon, Saint-Béat, Oueil and Larboust valleys
See the citrus trees for this area
The mountains: −14 °C one winter in ten and −17.2 °C recorded in Luchon in February 2012. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors here; the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas live here with a fleece at each frost; keep the other citrus trees in pots. The valley bottom is colder than the slopes, because cold air collects there at night: one winter in ten, Luchon (618 m) falls to −15.2 °C, Saint-Paul-d'Oueil (1,107 m) to −12.9 °C.
Luchon
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has river alluvium and silty soils. In practice, the soil is often silty.
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 −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.
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-Félix-Lauragais | 330 m | −4.8 °C | −8.2 °C | −11.6 °C (8 February 2012) | 1 out of 20 |
| Ondes | 109 m | −5.3 °C | −9 °C | −12.5 °C (9 February 2012) | 3 out of 30 |
| Auzeville-Tolosane (INRAE) | 150 m | −5.5 °C | −9.5 °C | −12.1 °C (9 February 2012) | 3 out of 24 |
| Toulouse-Francazal | 164 m | −5.7 °C | −9 °C | −11.6 °C (9 February 2012) | 3 out of 29 |
| Revel | 338 m | −6 °C | −9.5 °C | −13 °C (9 February 2012) | 3 out of 28 |
| Toulouse-Blagnac | 151 m | −6.1 °C | −8.5 °C | −12.5 °C (9 February 2012) | 2 out of 30 |
| Muret-Lherm | 189 m | −6.3 °C | −9.9 °C | −14.7 °C (9 February 2012) | 5 out of 30 |
| Ségreville | 212 m | −7 °C | −10.5 °C | −14 °C (9 February 2012) | 5 out of 29 |
| Villematier | 115 m | −7 °C | −11 °C | −13.5 °C (9 February 2012) | 4 out of 20 |
| Palaminy | 243 m | −7.4 °C | −10.6 °C | −13.1 °C (9 February 2012) | 7 out of 24 |
| Clarac | 401 m | −7.9 °C | −11.6 °C | −12.5 °C (25 December 2001) | 9 out of 30 |
| Blajan | 325 m | −8 °C | −10 °C | −12 °C (9 February 2012) | 7 out of 23 |
| Luchon | 618 m | −9.2 °C | −15.2 °C | −17.2 °C (8 February 2012) | 18 out of 30 |
| Saint-Paul-d'Oueil | 1107 m | −10.2 °C | −12.9 °C | −16.6 °C (8 February 2012) | 21 out of 27 |
“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. In February 2012, Toulouse-Blagnac fell to −12.5 °C and Luchon to −17.2 °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 Haute-Garonne
- Avoid hollows. Cold air flows down and collects at the bottom of valleys and in basins. The records show it: one winter in ten, Muret-Lherm and Villematier, on the plain, fall 1.5 to 2.5 °C lower than Toulouse-Blagnac. Plant halfway up a slope or against a south-facing wall, never at the lowest point of the garden.
- Take care of drainage. The boulbènes, silty soils of the Garonne terraces, and the terreforts, clay soils of the hillsides, hold water in winter. In heavy soil, plant on a mound.
- Choose the rootstock for your soil. Poncirus is the most cold-resistant. In chalky 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 Toulouse?
Not without risk. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and the Toulouse plain falls to around −6 °C almost one winter in two, and to around −9 °C one winter in ten: even under a fleece, the margin is too small. Keep them in pots, brought in for the winter to a bright room protected from frost. 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 Haute-Garonne?
Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3, which withstand −15 °C, spend the winter without protection everywhere, including in the Luchon valley. On the plain and in the Lauragais, satsumas, the other yuzus (Yuzu 30, thornless, Tada Nishiki) and kumquats also manage without it; in the Comminges, so do the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas; in Luchon, they 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. On the plain, the hardiest clementines spend the winter in the ground without protection; orange trees and the other clementines with a fleece on frosty nights, sheltered by a south-facing wall. In the Lauragais, orange trees and clementines live with a fleece. In the Comminges, only orange trees and the hardiest clementines can try it, with a fleece. In the Luchon valley, keep them in pots.
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).