In Ille-et-Vilaine, the winter cold varies little from one place to another. One winter in ten, it falls to about −8 °C in Rennes and on the Côte d'Émeraude, and to −9 °C in the Pays de Fougères.
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:
−8 °Cone winter in ten
Rennes, the centre and the south
Rennes, Cesson-Sévigné, Bruz, Le Rheu, Saint-Aubin-d'Aubigné, Bain-de-Bretagne, La Guerche-de-Bretagne, Redon
See the citrus trees for this area
A wet, oceanic climate, without big differences from one place to another: −8 °C one winter in ten, −6 °C in an ordinary winter. One winter in ten, Rennes-Saint-Jacques falls to −8.6 °C, La Noë-Blanche, in the south, to −7.8 °C. Orange trees, the hardiest clementines, satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter outdoors; lemon trees and the other clementines need a fleece, against a south-facing wall. In heavy soil that stays wet in winter, plant on a mound.
La Noë-Blanche
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has silty soils and fersialsol. 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 −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.
−8 °Cone winter in ten
Côte d'Émeraude
Saint-Malo, Dinard, Cancale, Saint-Lunaire, Saint-Briac-sur-Mer
See the citrus trees for this area
The sea softens the ordinary winter (−5 °C), but one winter in ten Dinard still falls to −8.1 °C, as much as Rennes. Orange trees, the hardiest clementines, satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter outdoors here; lemon trees and the other clementines need a fleece. Shelter them from sea winds and salt spray, behind a wall or a hedge.
Dinard
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.
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 −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
Pays de Fougères
Fougères, Lécousse, Louvigné-du-Désert, Saint-Brice-en-Coglès
See the citrus trees for this area
The north-east is a little colder: −9 °C one winter in ten, and −12.9 °C recorded at Louvigné-du-Désert in January 1997. Satsumas, yuzus, kumquats, citranges and the hardiest clementines spend the winter outdoors here; orange trees and the other clementines with a fleece; lemon trees in pots.
Louvigné-du-Désert
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 silty.
Rootstocks to favour: C35, then Poncirus.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Noë-Blanche | 89 m | −4.7 °C | −7.8 °C | −11.6 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 30 |
| Dinard | 65 m | −5 °C | −8.1 °C | −11.4 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 30 |
| Feins | 87 m | −5.4 °C | −8.4 °C | −8.5 °C (16 December 2009) | 0 out of 21 |
| Rennes-Saint-Jacques | 36 m | −5.5 °C | −8.6 °C | −11.3 °C (2 January 1997) | 2 out of 30 |
| Le Rheu (INRAE) | 38 m | −5.8 °C | −8.5 °C | −8.6 °C (3 February 2012) | 0 out of 24 |
| Fougères | 74 m | −5.8 °C | −8.8 °C | −10.5 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 23 |
| Louvigné-du-Désert | 153 m | −5.9 °C | −9.5 °C | −12.9 °C (2 January 1997) | 4 out of 30 |
| Arbrissel | 75 m | −6 °C | −8.3 °C | −11 °C (11 February 2012) | 1 out of 23 |
“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, Rennes-Saint-Jacques fell to −11.3 °C, Dinard to −11.4 °C and Louvigné-du-Désert to −12.9 °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 Ille-et-Vilaine
- Avoid hollows. Cold air flows down and collects at the bottom of valleys and in basins. Plant halfway up a slope or against a south-facing wall, never at the lowest point of the garden. The south-facing wall also gives the warmth that Breton summers sometimes lack.
- Take care of drainage. Winters are wet and many soils stay waterlogged until spring. In heavy soil or if water stands, plant on a mound.
- Choose the rootstock for your soil. The soils of the département are often acid: 4475 adapts to them, in a large hole with improved soil and with more water in summer. Poncirus is the most cold-resistant. Our 5-step test helps you choose: Which rootstock should you choose?
- On the coast, shelter from the wind. Sea winds and salt spray burn the leaves. Conditions there are favourable: choose your citrus according to the cold at the nearest station.
- Plant in spring, once the frosts are over. The tree then has a whole season to take root before its first winter. From September onwards, no fertiliser and no pruning.
- 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 Rennes?
Yes, with a fleece. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and Rennes falls to −8 °C one winter in ten. Plant it against a south-facing wall and put a fleece on at each frost. In the Pays de Fougères, keep it in a pot, brought in for the winter to a bright room protected from frost. For a sour fruit without a fleece, 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 Ille-et-Vilaine?
Citranges, which withstand −15 °C, spend the winter without protection throughout the département, as do yuzus, 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. In Rennes and on the Côte d'Émeraude, orange trees and the hardiest clementines spend the winter without protection; the other clementines need a fleece on frosty nights, sheltered by a south-facing wall. In the Pays de Fougères, the hardiest clementines spend the winter without protection; orange trees and the other clementines need a fleece.
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. 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).