In the Hautes-Pyrénées, the winter cold changes a lot between the plain and the mountains. One winter in ten, it falls to about −8 °C in the Argelès valley, −10 °C around Tarbes and on the Lannemezan plateau, and −16 °C in the Aure and Louron valleys.
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.
Our nursery, at Lavernose-Lacasse (Haute-Garonne), is about 1 h 30 min from Tarbes by road: you can collect your plants there by appointment (Click & Collect).
- −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
Lourdes and the Argelès valley
Lourdes, Argelès-Gazost, Ayros-Arbouix, Pierrefitte-Nestalas, Saint-Pé-de-Bigorre
See the citrus trees for this area
The lower Argelès valley, at 478 m, is the mildest part of the département: −8 °C one winter in ten and −6 °C in an ordinary winter. Orange trees, the hardiest clementines, satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter outdoors here; lemon trees and the other clementines need a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall. These figures come from a single station, Ayros-Arbouix: further up the valleys, the cold increases quickly.
Ayros-Arbouix
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown 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 −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.
−10 °Cone winter in ten
Tarbes and the Adour plain
Tarbes, Aureilhan, Séméac, Vic-en-Bigorre, Maubourguet, Rabastens-de-Bigorre, Tournay
See the citrus trees for this area
The Adour plain, from Tarbes to Maubourguet: −10 °C one winter in ten and −7 °C in an ordinary winter. The north of the plain is a little colder: Maubourguet falls to −11.0 °C, while Castelvieilh stays at −9.0 °C. Satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter outdoors here; orange trees and clementines need a fleece on frosty nights, against a south-facing wall. Lemon trees stay in pots. The soil often stays wet in winter: take care of drainage.
Maubourguet
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, silty soils and river alluvium. 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.
−10 °Cone winter in ten
Lannemezan plateau and Magnoac
Lannemezan, Capvern, Campistrous, Galan, Trie-sur-Baïse, Castelnau-Magnoac
See the citrus trees for this area
The Lannemezan plateau and the Magnoac hillsides, higher but no colder than the plain: −10 °C one winter in ten and −8 °C in an ordinary winter. Campistrous falls to −11.2 °C, Lannemezan, at 638 m, stays at −9.4 °C. Satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter outdoors here; orange trees and clementines need a fleece at each frost. Lemon trees stay in pots. The soil, silty and clay, often stays wet in winter: plant on a mound.
Lannemezan
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has veracrisol, silty soils and river alluvium. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet, clayey and silty.
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 −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.
−16 °Cone winter in ten
Aure and Louron valleys
Sarrancolin, Arreau, Saint-Lary-Soulan, Vielle-Aure, Bazus-Aure, Loudenvielle, Génos
See the citrus trees for this area
The Aure and Louron valleys, from 770 to 1,590 m: −16 °C one winter in ten and −11 °C in an ordinary winter. The valley floor is the coldest: Bazus-Aure (767 m) falls to −19.2 °C, lower than Loudenvielle (1,587 m), at −16.3 °C. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter here with a fleece in each severe cold spell; keep the other citrus trees in pots. The soil is often acid.
Bazus-Aure
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has river alluvium, ordinary brown soils and foot-of-slope soils. In practice, the soil is often acid and 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castelvieilh | 355 m | −5.5 °C | −9 °C | −11 °C (8 February 2012) | 2 out of 24 |
| Ayros-Arbouix | 478 m | −6 °C | −8 °C | −12.5 °C (8 February 2012) | 2 out of 26 |
| Tournay | 267 m | −6.2 °C | −9.6 °C | −10.7 °C (12 February 2012) | 4 out of 30 |
| Lannemezan | 638 m | −7 °C | −9.4 °C | −13.4 °C (8 February 2012) | 4 out of 28 |
| Tarbes-Lourdes (airport) | 360 m | −7 °C | −10.9 °C | −11.3 °C (24 December 2001) | 7 out of 30 |
| Maubourguet | 177 m | −7 °C | −11 °C | −14.5 °C (27 January 2007) | 7 out of 30 |
| Vic-en-Bigorre | 219 m | −7.1 °C | −10 °C | −12 °C (25 December 2001) | 5 out of 30 |
| Campistrous | 593 m | −7.5 °C | −11.2 °C | −12.9 °C (8 February 2012) | 8 out of 30 |
| Castelnau-Magnoac | 298 m | −7.8 °C | −9.7 °C | −11.8 °C (25 December 2001) | 8 out of 30 |
| Saint-Lary-Soulan | 826 m | −10 °C | −15.8 °C | −16 °C (1 March 2005) | 16 out of 24 |
| Aragnouet (Eget) | 1012 m | −11 °C | −15.5 °C | −16.5 °C (8 February 2012) | 17 out of 20 |
| Loudenvielle | 1587 m | −11 °C | −16.3 °C | −17.1 °C (1 March 2005) | 20 out of 22 |
| Bazus-Aure | 767 m | −11.7 °C | −19.2 °C | −20.1 °C (8 February 2012) | 17 out of 20 |
| Génos | 1252 m | −12 °C | −16 °C | −17 °C (8 February 2012) | 22 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 8 February 2012, Bazus-Aure fell to −20.1 °C, Lannemezan to −13.4 °C and Ayros-Arbouix, near Argelès, to −12.5 °C; on 27 January 2007, Maubourguet recorded −14.5 °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 Hautes-Pyrénées
- Avoid hollows. Cold air flows down and collects at the bottom of valleys. The records show it: one winter in ten, Bazus-Aure, at 767 m, falls to −19.2 °C, while Saint-Lary-Soulan, at 826 m, stays at −15.8 °C. Plant halfway up a slope or against a south-facing wall, never at the lowest point of the garden.
- Reckon with the mountains. In the Aure and Louron valleys, only citranges hold out outdoors, under a fleece in each severe cold spell. Keep the other citrus trees in pots.
- Take care of drainage. The soils of the Adour plain and the Lannemezan plateau often stay wet in winter. In heavy soil, plant on a mound.
- Choose the rootstock for your soil. Poncirus is the most cold-resistant. In acid soil, as often in the mountains, 4475 adapts better, in a large hole with improved soil and with more water in summer. 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 Tarbes?
It is risky. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and the Tarbes plain falls to around −7 °C in an ordinary winter and −10 °C one winter in ten. Keep them in pots, brought in for the winter to a bright room protected from frost. In the Argelès valley, at −8 °C one winter in ten, a lemon tree can be grown in the ground with a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall. You will find them in Lemons and lemon substitutes.
Which citrus trees withstand the cold best in the Hautes-Pyrénées?
Around Tarbes, Lannemezan and Argelès, satsumas, yuzus, kumquats and citranges spend the winter without protection; in the Argelès valley, so do orange trees and the hardiest clementines. In the mountains, choose citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3, which withstand −15 °C, with a fleece in each severe cold spell. 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 Argelès valley, orange trees and the hardiest clementines spend the winter outdoors without protection; the other clementines need a fleece at each frost, sheltered by a south-facing wall. Around Tarbes and Lannemezan, orange trees and clementines can be grown in the ground with a fleece at each frost. In the mountains, keep them all in pots.
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).