In Isère, the winter cold changes a lot from one place to another, between the Rhône valley and the Alps. One winter in ten, it falls to about −12 °C around Vienne, −13 °C in Grenoble, −16 °C in the Bièvre and the Terres Froides, −17 °C in the Trièves and the Matheysine and −19 °C in the Vercors.
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:
−12 °Cone winter in ten
Rhône valley and Nord-Isère
Vienne, Reventin-Vaugris, Roussillon, Sablons, Luzinay, Bourgoin-Jallieu, L'Isle-d'Abeau, Villefontaine
See the citrus trees for this area
The least cold part of Isère, from Vienne to Bourgoin-Jallieu: −12 °C one winter in ten, −8 °C in an ordinary winter. The Rhône hillsides are the mildest: −11.1 °C at Reventin-Vaugris, −13.3 °C at Bourgoin-Jallieu. Citranges, yuzus and the hardiest satsumas spend the winter outdoors here; the other satsumas, kumquats and the hardiest clementines with a fleece, against a south-facing wall; orange trees, lemon trees and the other clementines stay in pots. The soil, often silty, is sometimes chalky: plant on a mound.
Bourgoin-Jallieu
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, river alluvium and shallow chalky soils. In practice, the soil is often silty and chalky.
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 −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
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Changshan Huyou
down to −11 °C · €38.00
-
Kinkoji
down to −10 °C · €38.00
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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.
−13 °Cone winter in ten
Grenoble, Grésivaudan and Voironnais
Grenoble, Échirolles, Saint-Martin-d'Hères, Meylan, Le Versoud, Crolles, Voiron, Coublevie
See the citrus trees for this area
The Grenoble basin, the Grésivaudan and the Voiron area: −13 °C one winter in ten, −7 °C in an ordinary winter. Cold air lingers at the bottom of the valley: Le Versoud falls to −12.9 °C one winter in ten, −16.6 °C in January 2010. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors here; the other yuzus, satsumas and kumquats need a fleece, against a south-facing wall; the other citrus trees stay in pots. The soil is often chalky.
Grenoble-Le Versoud
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has river alluvium, chalky soils and ordinary brown soils. In practice, the soil is often chalky.
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 −13 °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 −10 °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
-
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
-
Ichang Lemon Shangyuan
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
Fukushu Kumquat
down to −10 °C · €32.30
-
US 119
down to −12 °C · €35.00
See all 27 available plants that withstand −10 °C
Sold out for now: 25 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Ambersweet, Auline, Bendizao Mandarin, Corsican Mountain Orange, 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.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −10 °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.
−16 °Cone winter in ten
Bièvre, Terres Froides and Sud-Grésivaudan
Saint-Marcellin, Chatte, Vinay, La Côte-Saint-André, Saint-Étienne-de-Saint-Geoirs, Le Grand-Lemps, Les Abrets, Le Pont-de-Beauvoisin
See the citrus trees for this area
The plateaus and plains of the Bas-Dauphiné: −16 °C one winter in ten. The Bièvre plain is a cold trap: −17.7 °C one winter in ten at Grenoble-Saint-Geoirs, −21 °C recorded at La Côte-Saint-André in December 2005. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 can try it here with a fleece, against a south-facing wall; the other citrus trees stay in pots, brought in for the winter.
La Côte-Saint-André
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has fersialsol, silty soils and ordinary brown soils. In practice, the soil is often chalky and silty.
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 −16 °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 −13 °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 −13 °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.
−17 °Cone winter in ten
Trièves, Matheysine, Chartreuse and the Oisans valleys
Monestier-de-Clermont, Mens, La Mure, Corps, Lavaldens, Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse, Le Bourg-d'Oisans, Vaujany
See the citrus trees for this area
The mid-altitude valleys and plateaus, from 800 to 1,000 m: −17 °C one winter in ten, −12 °C in an ordinary winter. The Matheysine plateau is the coldest: −18 °C one winter in ten at La Mure, and at La Mure (radome), in a hollow of the plateau, the cold falls to −24.9 °C one winter in ten, −25.5 °C on 1 February 2010. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live here in the ground with a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall, never at the bottom of a hollow; the other citrus trees stay in pots, brought in for the winter to a bright room protected from frost. The soil is often chalky.
La Mure (radôme)
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has chalky soils, shallow chalky soils and river alluvium. In practice, the soil is often chalky, winter-wet and silty.
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 −17 °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 −14 °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 −14 °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.
−19 °Cone winter in ten
Vercors and the high mountains
Villard-de-Lans, Autrans, Lans-en-Vercors, Chamrousse, Huez (L'Alpe d'Huez), Besse, Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans
See the citrus trees for this area
The Vercors and the high mountains: −19 °C one winter in ten and −25.2 °C recorded at L'Alpe d'Huez in February 2012. Citrus trees stay in pots here, brought in for the winter to a bright room protected from frost.
L'Alpe d'Huez
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has shallow chalky soils, very thin soils over rock and foot-of-slope soils. In practice, the soil is often chalky, clayey, acid 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 −19 °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 −16 °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 −16 °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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coublevie | 300 m | −4.9 °C | −12.2 °C | −12.7 °C (5 February 2012) | 4 out of 22 |
| Reventin-Vaugris | 295 m | −6.1 °C | −11.1 °C | −11.8 °C (5 February 2012) | 5 out of 22 |
| Bourgoin-Jallieu | 358 m | −7.5 °C | −13.3 °C | −14.2 °C (5 February 2012) | 7 out of 23 |
| Luzinay | 310 m | −7.8 °C | −12.9 °C | −14 °C (30 December 2005) | 8 out of 22 |
| Sablons | 136 m | −8 °C | −11.5 °C | −12 °C (1 March 2005) | 13 out of 30 |
| Grenoble-Le Versoud | 220 m | −8.2 °C | −12.9 °C | −16.6 °C (11 January 2010) | 13 out of 27 |
| Chatte | 272 m | −8.2 °C | −15.7 °C | −18.5 °C (30 December 2005) | 13 out of 30 |
| Monestier-de-Clermont | 806 m | −9.8 °C | −15 °C | −17.9 °C (5 February 2012) | 20 out of 30 |
| Serre-Nerpol | 630 m | −9.9 °C | −13.5 °C | −16.5 °C (5 February 2012) | 14 out of 22 |
| Le Pont-de-Beauvoisin | 284 m | −9.9 °C | −14.4 °C | −17.5 °C (5 February 2012) | 17 out of 30 |
| Grenoble-Saint-Geoirs (airport) | 376 m | −9.9 °C | −17.7 °C | −20.2 °C (30 December 2005) | 19 out of 30 |
| Pellafol (Le Sautet) | 800 m | −10 °C | −14 °C | −17 °C (5 February 2012) | 17 out of 29 |
| Vaujany | 772 m | −10 °C | −14 °C | −15 °C (11 January 2010) | 16 out of 21 |
| La Côte-Saint-André | 346 m | −10 °C | −17 °C | −21 °C (30 December 2005) | 14 out of 20 |
| La Grande-Chartreuse | 945 m | −10.8 °C | −15 °C | −20 °C (5 February 2012) | 22 out of 30 |
| Saint-Baudille-et-Pipet | 1040 m | −11.5 °C | −18 °C | −18.9 °C (5 February 2012) | 26 out of 30 |
| Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse (Les Égaux) | 950 m | −11.8 °C | −17.1 °C | −20.7 °C (5 February 2012) | 19 out of 21 |
| Pellafol (Les Chaneaux) | 947 m | −12 °C | −16 °C | −19 °C (5 February 2012) | 24 out of 29 |
| Le Gua (Nivôse, 1,646 m) | 1646 m | −12.1 °C | −18.8 °C | −21 °C (4 February 2012) | 21 out of 22 |
| Saint-Hilaire-du-Touvet (Nivôse, 1,756 m) | 1756 m | −12.2 °C | −19 °C | −21.1 °C (4 February 2012) | 23 out of 24 |
| Besse | 1520 m | −13.1 °C | −17 °C | −20.5 °C (5 February 2012) | 29 out of 29 |
| La Mure | 881 m | −14 °C | −18 °C | −19 °C (1 February 2010) | 20 out of 21 |
| Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans | 1570 m | −14 °C | −19 °C | −22 °C (5 February 2012) | 27 out of 27 |
| Chamrousse | 1730 m | −14.5 °C | −20 °C | −23.3 °C (5 February 2012) | 23 out of 23 |
| Villard-de-Lans | 1027 m | −15 °C | −20.7 °C | −22 °C (5 February 2012) | 30 out of 30 |
| Lavaldens | 1070 m | −15.5 °C | −18 °C | −22 °C (5 February 2012) | 20 out of 21 |
| Autrans | 1069 m | −15.5 °C | −19.5 °C | −21.6 °C (5 February 2012) | 26 out of 26 |
| L'Alpe d'Huez | 1860 m | −15.8 °C | −21.8 °C | −25.2 °C (4 February 2012) | 30 out of 30 |
| La Mure (radome) | 885 m | −17.1 °C | −24.9 °C | −25.5 °C (1 February 2010) | 23 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. In February 2012, Bourgoin-Jallieu fell to −14.2 °C and Villard-de-Lans to −22 °C; in December 2005, La Côte-Saint-André recorded −21 °C. The record for the département goes to La Mure (radome), in a hollow of the Matheysine: −25.5 °C on 1 February 2010. 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 Isère
- Avoid hollows. Cold air flows down and collects at the bottom of valleys and in enclosed plains. The records show it: one winter in ten, Grenoble-Saint-Geoirs, in the Bièvre, falls to −17.7 °C, while Serre-Nerpol, on the nearby heights at 630 m, stays at −13.5 °C. Plant halfway up a slope or against a south-facing wall, never at the lowest point of the garden.
- Take altitude into account. Between 800 and 1,000 m, only citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live outdoors, with a fleece at each frost. Higher up, keep your citrus trees in pots, brought in for the winter to a bright room protected from frost.
- Take care of drainage. In heavy or chalky soil, plant on a mound: excess water in winter weakens the roots.
- Choose the rootstock for your soil. In Isère, the cold decides first: Poncirus is the most resistant. Our 5-step test helps you choose: Which rootstock should you choose?
- Plant in spring, once the frosts are over, and 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 Grenoble?
No. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and Grenoble falls to around −7 °C in an ordinary winter. Keep them in pots, brought in for the winter to a bright room protected from frost. You will find them in Lemons and lemon substitutes.
Which citrus trees withstand the cold best in Isère?
Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3, which withstand −15 °C: they spend the winter outdoors around Vienne, Bourgoin-Jallieu and Grenoble, with a fleece in the Bièvre, the Terres Froides and the mid-altitude mountains; in the Vercors, keep them in pots. In the Rhône valley and Nord-Isère, the other yuzus (Yuzu 30, thornless, Tada Nishiki) and the hardiest satsumas also do without protection; the other satsumas and kumquats need a fleece there. In Grenoble, the other yuzus, satsumas and kumquats need a fleece; elsewhere, keep them 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. In the Rhône valley and Nord-Isère, only the hardiest clementines live outdoors, with a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall. Elsewhere, and for orange trees, grow them in pots and bring them 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).