In Haute-Loire, winters are harsh for citrus trees, and the cold changes a lot from one place to another. One winter in ten, it falls to about −16 °C in the Brivadois and the Yssingelais, −17 °C around Le Puy, −18 °C on the La Chaise-Dieu plateau and −21 °C in the Margeride and on the Devès.
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:
−16 °Cone winter in ten
Brivadois and the Allier valley
Brioude, Langeac, Blesle, Lempdes-sur-Allagnon, Auzon, Paulhaguet
See the citrus trees for this area
The Allier valley, around Brioude, is, with the Yssingelais, the least cold part of the département: −16 °C one winter in ten and −11 °C in an ordinary winter. Cold air collects at the bottom: Fontannes, on the plain near Brioude, falls to −16.0 °C, while Autrac, at 807 m, stays at −13.4 °C. Only citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 can be tried in the ground, with a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall; the other citrus trees stay in pots. The soil is often acid.
Chavaniac-Lafayette
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has thin acid soils, river alluvium and ordinary brown soils. In practice, the soil is often acid.
Rootstock to favour: 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 −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.
−16 °Cone winter in ten
Yssingelais and the Loire valley
Yssingeaux, Monistrol-sur-Loire, Sainte-Sigolène, Bas-en-Basset, Aurec-sur-Loire, Retournac, Saint-Didier-en-Velay
See the citrus trees for this area
The Loire valley and the Yssingelais plateaus: −16 °C one winter in ten and −12 °C in an ordinary winter. Monistrol-sur-Loire stays at −15.1 °C; at the bottom of the valley, Bas-en-Basset falls to −16.5 °C, lower than Saint-Romain-Lachalm at 902 m. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter here with a fleece at each frost; the other citrus trees stay in pots. The soil often stays wet in winter: plant on a mound.
Yssingeaux
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, river alluvium and acid soils. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet.
Rootstock to favour: 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 −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
Le Puy, Meygal and the Lignon plateau
Le Puy-en-Velay, Espaly-Saint-Marcel, Brives-Charensac, Solignac-sur-Loire, Saint-Julien-Chapteuil, Le Chambon-sur-Lignon
See the citrus trees for this area
The Le Puy basin, the Meygal and the Lignon plateau: −17 °C one winter in ten and −12 °C in an ordinary winter. The hollows are colder than the heights: Saint-Julien-Chapteuil, at 810 m, falls to −18.9 °C, while Le Mazet-Saint-Voy, at 1,130 m, stays at −16.6 °C. Only citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 can be tried in the ground, with a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall; keep the other citrus trees in pots, brought in for the winter to a bright room protected from frost. In the hollows, even citranges are too borderline.
Saint-Julien-Chapteuil
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, acid soils and foot-of-slope soils.
Rootstock to favour: 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 −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.
−18 °Cone winter in ten
La Chaise-Dieu plateau
La Chaise-Dieu, Craponne-sur-Arzon, Allègre, Félines, Fix-Saint-Geneys, Sembadel
See the citrus trees for this area
The high plateaus of the north, from La Chaise-Dieu to Allègre, at around 1,000 m: −18 °C one winter in ten and −13 °C in an ordinary winter. Félines falls to −19.4 °C. Only citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 can be tried in the ground, with a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall; keep the other citrus trees in pots, brought in for the winter. The soil is often acid.
Félines
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has thin acid soils, ordinary brown soils and volcanic soils. In practice, the soil is often acid.
Rootstock to favour: 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 −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.
−21 °Cone winter in ten
Margeride and Devès
Saugues, Pradelles, Landos, Costaros, Cayres, Auvers
See the citrus trees for this area
The coldest part of the département: −21 °C one winter in ten and −15 °C in an ordinary winter. On 1 March 2005, Saugues fell to −29.5 °C. No citrus tree spends the winter outdoors here: grow them in pots, brought in for the winter to a bright room protected from frost.
Saugues
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, acid soils and very acid sands. In practice, the soil is often acid.
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 −21 °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 −18 °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 −18 °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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autrac | 807 m | −9.5 °C | −13.4 °C | −14.7 °C (7 February 2012) | 19 out of 30 |
| Monistrol-sur-Loire | 777 m | −10.8 °C | −15.1 °C | −18.4 °C (5 February 2012) | 20 out of 30 |
| Saint-Romain-Lachalm | 902 m | −11.3 °C | −15.6 °C | −18.5 °C (5 February 2012) | 27 out of 30 |
| Fontannes | 435 m | −11.4 °C | −16 °C | −17.2 °C (1 March 2005) | 21 out of 30 |
| Le Mazet-Saint-Voy | 1130 m | −11.4 °C | −16.6 °C | −18.2 °C (4 February 2012) | 27 out of 30 |
| Bas-en-Basset | 446 m | −11.5 °C | −16.5 °C | −21.5 °C (1 March 2005) | 23 out of 29 |
| Chavaniac-Lafayette | 715 m | −11.5 °C | −16.3 °C | −20.5 °C (4 February 2012) | 24 out of 29 |
| Le Puy-Chadrac | 714 m | −11.8 °C | −16.8 °C | −19.5 °C (1 March 2005) | 25 out of 30 |
| Le Pertuis | 1020 m | −12 °C | −16.4 °C | −18.6 °C (1 March 2005) | 26 out of 30 |
| Tiranges | 603 m | −12 °C | −16 °C | −20 °C (5 February 2012) | 25 out of 30 |
| Fix-Saint-Geneys | 1102 m | −12.1 °C | −17.4 °C | −20 °C (4 February 2012) | 29 out of 30 |
| Solignac-sur-Loire | 832 m | −12.4 °C | −17.3 °C | −21 °C (1 March 2005) | 27 out of 30 |
| Yssingeaux | 873 m | −12.5 °C | −17 °C | −22.2 °C (1 March 2005) | 28 out of 30 |
| Allègre | 1035 m | −13 °C | −17.5 °C | −22 °C (1 March 2005) | 29 out of 30 |
| Landos | 1148 m | −13.4 °C | −18.6 °C | −21.6 °C (1 March 2005) | 29 out of 30 |
| Le Puy-Loudes | 831 m | −13.5 °C | −18.2 °C | −22 °C (1 March 2005) | 29 out of 30 |
| Saint-Julien-Chapteuil | 810 m | −14.6 °C | −18.9 °C | −24.8 °C (1 March 2005) | 21 out of 22 |
| Saint-Paul-de-Tartas | 1146 m | −14.7 °C | −23.1 °C | −23.3 °C (1 March 2005) | 24 out of 24 |
| Félines | 1014 m | −15.1 °C | −19.4 °C | −25.3 °C (1 March 2005) | 30 out of 30 |
| Saugues | 945 m | −15.4 °C | −21.9 °C | −29.5 °C (1 March 2005) | 30 out of 30 |
| Auvers | 1134 m | −15.5 °C | −20 °C | −24.5 °C (1 March 2005) | 23 out of 24 |
“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 1 March 2005, Saugues fell to −29.5 °C, Félines to −25.3 °C and Le Puy-Loudes to −22.0 °C; in February 2012, Chavaniac-Lafayette recorded −20.5 °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 Haute-Loire
- Choose very hardy citrus. With −16 to −21 °C one winter in ten, only citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 can be tried in the ground, with a fleece at each frost, except in the Margeride and on the Devès. The other citrus trees are grown in pots, brought in for the winter to a bright room protected from frost.
- Avoid hollows. Cold air flows down and collects in low ground. The records show it: one winter in ten, Saint-Julien-Chapteuil, at 810 m, falls to −18.9 °C, while Le Mazet-Saint-Voy, at 1,130 m, stays at −16.6 °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 the Loire valley and the Yssingelais, the soil often stays wet in winter. Plant on a mound, away from places where water stands.
- Choose the rootstock for your soil. Poncirus is the most cold-resistant: it is the choice for Haute-Loire. The soil there is often acid; 4475 adapts to acid soils but is more sensitive to cold. 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 Le Puy-en-Velay?
No. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and Le Puy falls to around −12 °C even in an ordinary winter. Keep them in pots, brought in for the winter to a bright room protected from frost. Yuzu and Yuzu 3, which withstand −15 °C, can be tried in the ground with a fleece, except in the Margeride and on the Devès; the other yuzus (Yuzu 30, thornless, Tada Nishiki), which withstand −12 °C, stay in pots. See our Lemons and lemon substitutes.
Which citrus trees withstand the cold best in Haute-Loire?
Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3, which withstand −15 °C: they can be tried in the ground with a fleece in the Brivadois, the Yssingelais, around Le Puy and on the La Chaise-Dieu plateau. In the Margeride and on the Devès, 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: that is too little for Haute-Loire, even in the valleys. 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).