In the Morbihan, the ocean makes the difference. One winter in ten, the cold falls to about −5 °C on the islands and in Quiberon, −7 °C in Vannes and Lorient, −9 °C in the centre and −10 °C in the Ploërmel area.
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:
−5 °Cone winter in ten
Islands, Quiberon and the Rhuys peninsula
Quiberon, Saint-Pierre-Quiberon, Le Palais, Groix, Sarzeau, Arzon
See the citrus trees for this area
The ocean keeps frost at bay: −5 °C one winter in ten, −2 °C in an ordinary winter. Groix (−4.2 °C) and Belle-Île (−4.7 °C) are the mildest; the Rhuys peninsula freezes a little more, −6.5 °C one winter in ten at Sarzeau. Orange trees, clementines, satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter outdoors here; lemon trees too, only just: keep a fleece for them on very cold nights, especially on Rhuys. Wind and salt spray damage the leaves: plant in the shelter of a hedge or a wall.
Sarzeau
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, thin acid soils and soils waterlogged part of the year. 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 −5 °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 72 available plants that withstand −5 °C
Sold out for now: 46 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, Iyo Mikan Tangor, Jabara, Juanita Mandarin, Kino Kuni Mikakukishu Mandarin, Mandalate 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, US SuperNa, Ugli, Vaniglia Sanguigno Orange, Wekiwa Tangelolo, Yuzu, Z194 Ichangensis x Sinensis.
In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights
They withstand −2 °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 −2 °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.
−7 °Cone winter in ten
Vannes, Lorient and the Gulf of Morbihan
Vannes, Lorient, Lanester, Ploemeur, Hennebont, Auray, Séné, Saint-Avé
See the citrus trees for this area
The coast and the gulf keep mild winters: −7 °C one winter in ten, −4 °C in an ordinary winter. By the water, Lorient and Auray stop at −6.9 °C one winter in ten; a few kilometres inland, Saint-Avé falls to −8.6 °C. Orange trees, clementines, satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter outdoors here; lemon trees need a fleece on frosty nights, against a south-facing wall. The soils often stay wet in winter: plant on a mound.
Auray
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 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 −7 °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 65 available plants that withstand −7 °C
Sold out for now: 46 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, Iyo Mikan Tangor, Jabara, Juanita Mandarin, Kino Kuni Mikakukishu Mandarin, Mandalate 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, US SuperNa, Ugli, Vaniglia Sanguigno Orange, Wekiwa Tangelolo, Yuzu, Z194 Ichangensis x Sinensis.
In open ground, with a fleece on frosty nights
They withstand −4 °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 −4 °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
Centre and west of the inland area
Pontivy, Locminé, Baud, Guémené-sur-Scorff, Le Faouët, Gourin
See the citrus trees for this area
Away from the sea, frost is stronger: −9 °C one winter in ten, −6 °C in an ordinary winter. The differences are clear from one station to another: Naizin −7.5 °C, Lanvénégen −9.5 °C one winter in ten. Satsumas, yuzus, kumquats, citranges and the hardiest clementines spend the winter outdoors here; orange trees and the other clementines need a fleece at each frost. Lemon trees stay in pots.
Lanvénégen
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils and silty soils.
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 −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
Ploërmel area, Questembert and the Vilaine
Ploërmel, Josselin, Guer, Malestroit, Questembert, Muzillac, La Roche-Bernard
See the citrus trees for this area
The east of the département is the coldest: −10 °C one winter in ten, −6 °C in an ordinary winter, and −12.7 °C recorded at Ploërmel in January 1997. Even near the Vilaine estuary, Billiers falls to −9.5 °C one winter in ten. Satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter outdoors here; orange trees and clementines need a fleece, against a south-facing wall. Lemon trees stay in pots. The soils are often wet in winter: plant on a mound.
Ploërmel
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, acid soils and thin acid 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 −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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Île de Groix | 41 m | −1.2 °C | −4.2 °C | −8.7 °C (2 January 1997) | 0 out of 30 |
| Belle-Île (Le Talut) | 37 m | −1.4 °C | −4.7 °C | −6.8 °C (2 January 1997) | 0 out of 30 |
| Quiberon | 33 m | −2.4 °C | −5.2 °C | −8.6 °C (2 January 1997) | 0 out of 25 |
| Sarzeau | 35 m | −4 °C | −6.5 °C | −10.8 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 30 |
| Auray | 26 m | −4 °C | −6.9 °C | −10.9 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 30 |
| Lorient-Lann-Bihoué | 45 m | −4.1 °C | −6.9 °C | −10.6 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 30 |
| Saint-Avé | 50 m | −4.4 °C | −8.6 °C | −10.8 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 24 |
| Naizin (INRAE) | 132 m | −4.6 °C | −7.5 °C | −11.5 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 29 |
| Arzal | 26 m | −5 °C | −8.8 °C | −10.6 °C (2 January 1997) | 2 out of 30 |
| Guiscriff | 180 m | −5.1 °C | −9 °C | −11.8 °C (2 January 1997) | 2 out of 24 |
| Theix | 29 m | −5.1 °C | −8.8 °C | −10.8 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 21 |
| Vannes-Séné | 3 m | −5.3 °C | −7.3 °C | −8.6 °C (1 March 2005) | 0 out of 28 |
| Bignan | 112 m | −5.3 °C | −8 °C | −8.5 °C (11 February 2012) | 0 out of 29 |
| Saint-Jacut-les-Pins | 52 m | −5.6 °C | −9.7 °C | −11.6 °C (2 January 1997) | 2 out of 24 |
| Pontivy | 83 m | −5.7 °C | −8.6 °C | −11.9 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 20 |
| Ploërmel | 65 m | −5.9 °C | −8.4 °C | −12.7 °C (2 January 1997) | 1 out of 30 |
| Billiers | 4 m | −6 °C | −9.5 °C | −11 °C (2 January 1997) | 2 out of 24 |
| Moréac | 120 m | −6 °C | −9 °C | −11.5 °C (2 January 1997) | 2 out of 24 |
| Questembert | 96 m | −6 °C | −10 °C | −11.9 °C (2 January 1997) | 3 out of 24 |
| Guer | 47 m | −6.3 °C | −9 °C | −12 °C (2 January 1997) | 4 out of 24 |
| Lanvénégen | 97 m | −6.5 °C | −9.5 °C | −12 °C (2 January 1997) | 4 out of 24 |
| Pleucadeuc | 65 m | −6.6 °C | −10.1 °C | −11.6 °C (2 January 1997) | 4 out of 30 |
| Mauron | 74 m | −6.7 °C | −10.4 °C | −12.2 °C (2 January 1997) | 5 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, Lorient-Lann-Bihoué fell to −10.6 °C and Ploërmel to −12.7 °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 Morbihan
- Make the most of the coast. Near the sea, conditions are favourable, but they change quickly: one winter in ten, Quiberon falls to −5.2 °C, Vannes-Séné to −7.3 °C. Choose your citrus according to the nearest station.
- Shelter them from the wind and the salt spray. On the coast, a hedge or a wall protects the leaves from salty gusts of wind.
- Avoid hollows. Inland, cold air collects at the bottom of valleys. Plant halfway up a slope or against a south-facing wall, never at the lowest point of the garden.
- Take care of drainage. The soils around the gulf and in the east of the département often stay wet in winter. Plant on a mound. Choose the rootstock for your soil: our 5-step test helps you, 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 Vannes or Lorient?
Yes, with a fleece. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and Vannes and Lorient fall to −7 °C one winter in ten: plant them against a south-facing wall and put a fleece on at each frost. On the islands and in Quiberon, they spend the winter without protection, only just: keep a fleece for very cold nights. Inland and in the Ploërmel area, keep them in pots, brought in for the winter to a bright room protected from frost. For a safer sour fruit, 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 Morbihan?
Everywhere in the département, satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter without protection. To have nothing to fear from very harsh winters, the hardiest hybrids, such as citranges, withstand −15 °C. 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 islands, in Quiberon, in Vannes and in Lorient, they spend the winter outdoors without protection. In the centre and the west of the inland area, so do the hardiest clementines; orange trees and the other clementines can be grown with a fleece, sheltered by a south-facing wall. In the Ploërmel area, orange trees and clementines need a fleece at each frost.
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. The further you go from the sea, the harder it freezes. 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).