In the Lot, the winter is colder than you might think, and the cold settles in the valleys. One winter in ten, it falls to about −11 °C on the Causses (limestone plateaus), in the Bouriane and around Figeac, −12 °C in Cahors, in the Lot valley and the Quercy Blanc, and −14 °C in the Ségala.
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:
−11 °Cone winter in ten
Haut-Quercy: Causses, Bouriane and Figeac
Figeac, Gourdon, Gramat, Rocamadour, Labastide-Murat, Capdenac-Gare
See the citrus trees for this area
The limestone plateaus and their edges: −11 °C one winter in ten, −9 °C in an ordinary winter. Near Figeac, Faycelles is the mildest station in the département: −10.8 °C one winter in ten. Citranges, yuzus and the hardiest satsumas spend the winter outdoors here; the other satsumas, kumquats, orange trees and the hardiest clementines with a fleece, against a south-facing wall; lemon trees and the other clementines stay in pots.
Gourdon
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has very thin soils over rock, ordinary brown soils and chalky 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 −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.
−12 °Cone winter in ten
Cahors, the Lot valley and the Quercy Blanc
Cahors, Puy-l'Évêque, Luzech, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, Montcuq, Castelnau-Montratier
See the citrus trees for this area
The Lot valley holds the cold: −12 °C one winter in ten, and −15.0 °C recorded at Anglars-Juillac in February 2012. On a soil that is often chalky, plant on the hillside rather than by the river. Citranges, yuzus and the hardiest satsumas spend the winter without protection; the other satsumas, kumquats and the hardiest clementines with a fleece; orange trees and the other clementines stay in pots.
Anglars-Juillac
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, calcium-rich but barely chalky soils and very thin soils over rock. In practice, the soil is often chalky and silty.
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
-
Changshan Huyou
down to −11 °C · €38.00
-
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 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.
−14 °Cone winter in ten
Ségala
Latronquière, Sousceyrac-en-Ségala, Comiac, Lacapelle-Marival
See the citrus trees for this area
The Ségala plateau, in the north-east, is the coldest part: −14 °C one winter in ten and −9 °C in an ordinary winter. The soil is acid, often clay: plant on a mound. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors here; the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas need a fleece at each frost; the other citrus trees stay in pots.
Sousceyrac
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 acid 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 −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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montcuq | 193 m | −7.5 °C | −12 °C | −14 °C (9 February 2012) | 9 out of 30 |
| Faycelles | 342 m | −7.7 °C | −10.8 °C | −12.6 °C (9 February 2012) | 7 out of 22 |
| Saint-Géry | 137 m | −7.9 °C | −12.9 °C | −13.6 °C (6 February 2012) | 6 out of 21 |
| Le Montat | 260 m | −8.2 °C | −11.5 °C | −12.5 °C (9 February 2012) | 11 out of 28 |
| Anglars-Juillac | 104 m | −8.3 °C | −11.9 °C | −15 °C (6 February 2012) | 12 out of 30 |
| Comiac | 562 m | −8.5 °C | −11.3 °C | −13.5 °C (9 February 2012) | 10 out of 22 |
| Lunegarde | 383 m | −8.5 °C | −11.3 °C | −13 °C (9 February 2012) | 11 out of 25 |
| Gourdon | 260 m | −8.7 °C | −11.7 °C | −14.2 °C (9 February 2012) | 12 out of 30 |
| Latronquière | 658 m | −9.1 °C | −13.5 °C | −14 °C (24 December 2001) | 18 out of 30 |
| Sousceyrac | 550 m | −11 °C | −13.8 °C | −15.5 °C (8 February 2012) | 19 out of 25 |
“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, Le Montat, near Cahors, fell to −12.5 °C, Anglars-Juillac, in the Lot valley, to −15.0 °C and Sousceyrac to −15.5 °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 Lot
- Avoid hollows. Cold air flows down from the Causses and collects at the bottom of the valleys. The records show it: one winter in ten, Saint-Géry, on the banks of the Lot, falls to −12.9 °C while Le Montat, on the Causse above Cahors, stays at −11.5 °C. Plant halfway up a slope or against a south-facing wall, never at the lowest point of the garden.
- Choose the rootstock for your soil. On the Causses and around Cahors, the soil is often chalky: FA5 does better. In the Ségala, the soil is acid. Poncirus is the most cold-resistant. Our 5-step test helps you choose: Which rootstock should you choose?
- Take care of drainage. In clay or heavy soil, water stands around the roots in winter. Plant on a mound.
- Make the most of stone walls. A south-facing wall keeps the warmth of the day and protects the tree at night. It is the best place for a yuzu or a satsuma.
- 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 Cahors?
No. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and Cahors falls to −12 °C one winter in ten and to around −8 °C in an ordinary winter. Keep them in pots, brought in for the winter. 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 the Lot?
Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3, which withstand −15 °C, spend the winter without protection throughout the département, even in the Ségala, at −14 °C one winter in ten. The other yuzus (Yuzu 30, thornless, Tada Nishiki) and the hardiest satsumas also manage without it on the Causses, around Figeac and Cahors; in the Ségala, they need a fleece. Kumquats and the other satsumas are grown with a fleece on the Causses and around Cahors; in the Ségala, 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. On the Causses, in the Bouriane and around Figeac, orange trees and the hardiest clementines hold out with a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall; around Cahors, only the hardiest clementines. Keep the others in pots, brought in for the winter to a bright room protected from frost, as in the Ségala.
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 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).