In Haute-Saône, winters are harsh for citrus trees. One winter in ten, it falls to about −16 °C around Gray and Vesoul, −17 °C at the foot of the Vosges and in the Jussey area, and −18 °C in the Ognon valley. Only citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 can be tried in the ground, with a fleece at each frost; keep the other citrus trees in pots.
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
Gray and the Saône valley
Gray, Arc-lès-Gray, Autrey-lès-Gray, Gy, Pesmes, Chargey-lès-Gray
See the citrus trees for this area
The Saône valley around Gray, between 200 and 250 m: −16 °C one winter in ten and −10 °C in an ordinary winter. The differences are large: Chargey-lès-Gray stays at −12.7 °C, while Poyans, about twelve kilometres away, falls to −18.2 °C. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter here with a fleece on very cold nights; keep the other citrus trees in pots. The soil often stays wet in winter and is sometimes chalky: plant on a mound.
Poyans
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has silty soils, waterlogged soils and soils waterlogged part of the year. In practice, the soil is often chalky, silty and winter-wet.
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.
−16 °Cone winter in ten
Vesoul and its basin
Vesoul, Frotey-lès-Vesoul, Noidans-lès-Vesoul, Navenne, Vaivre-et-Montoille, Saulx
See the citrus trees for this area
The Vesoul basin, from 240 to 360 m: −16 °C one winter in ten and −12 °C in an ordinary winter. The bottom of the basin is the coldest: Vesoul falls to −16.0 °C, while Frotey-lès-Vesoul, higher up at 360 m, stays at −13.3 °C. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter here with a fleece on very cold nights; keep the other citrus trees in pots. The soil is often chalky: plant on a mound.
Vesoul (ville)
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, silty soils and soils waterlogged part of the year. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet, silty, chalky and clayey.
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
Lure, Luxeuil and the foot of the Vosges
Lure, Luxeuil-les-Bains, Saint-Loup-sur-Semouse, Fougerolles-Saint-Valbert, Aillevillers-et-Lyaumont, Champagney, Héricourt, Plancher-les-Mines
See the citrus trees for this area
The foot of the Vosges, from Luxeuil to Héricourt: −17 °C one winter in ten and −12 °C in an ordinary winter. The slopes have less frost than the valley bottoms: Belfahy, at 847 m, stays at −14.2 °C, while Luxeuil-les-Bains, at 271 m, falls to −17.8 °C. Only citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live in the ground here, with a fleece at each frost; keep the other citrus trees in pots, brought in for the winter. The soil is often acid and wet in winter: take care of drainage.
Fougerolles (315 m)
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, thin acid soils and waterlogged soils. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet, acid and silty.
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.
−17 °Cone winter in ten
Upper Saône valley and the Jussey area
Jussey, Port-sur-Saône, Scey-sur-Saône-et-Saint-Albin, Faverney, Combeaufontaine, Vitrey-sur-Mance
See the citrus trees for this area
The upper Saône valley and the plateaus of the north-west: −17 °C one winter in ten and −12 °C in an ordinary winter, quite evenly, from −16.5 °C at La Quarte to −17.4 °C at Montureux-lès-Baulay. Only citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live in the ground here, with a fleece at each frost; keep the other citrus trees in pots, brought in for the winter. The soil often stays wet in winter: plant on a mound.
Combeaufontaine
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, soils waterlogged part of the year and silty soils. In practice, the soil is often silty, winter-wet and clayey.
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
Ognon valley
Villersexel, Rioz, Montbozon, Voray-sur-l'Ognon
See the citrus trees for this area
The Ognon valley, the coldest in the département one winter in ten: −18 °C, against −10 °C in an ordinary winter. The severe cold spells are marked here: Rioz fell to −21.8 °C. Only citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 live in the ground here, with a fleece at each frost; keep the other citrus trees in pots, brought in for the winter. The silty soil often stays wet in winter: take care of drainage.
Rioz
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has silty soils and soils waterlogged part of the year. In practice, the soil is often winter-wet, clayey and silty.
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargey-lès-Gray | 244 m | −9.3 °C | −12.7 °C | −18.2 °C (20 December 2009) | 16 out of 29 |
| Frotey-lès-Vesoul | 360 m | −9.5 °C | −13.3 °C | −14.9 °C (20 December 2009) | 17 out of 30 |
| Bucey-lès-Gy | 215 m | −9.9 °C | −15 °C | −17 °C (20 December 2009) | 19 out of 30 |
| Cugney | 230 m | −10 °C | −17 °C | −17 °C (30 December 2005) | 14 out of 20 |
| Villersexel | 290 m | −10.2 °C | −18 °C | −19.4 °C (20 December 2009) | 21 out of 30 |
| Venisey | 243 m | −10.6 °C | −17.1 °C | −17.4 °C (30 December 2005) | 16 out of 23 |
| Rioz | 275 m | −10.6 °C | −18.3 °C | −21.8 °C (20 December 2009) | 17 out of 25 |
| Belfahy | 847 m | −10.8 °C | −14.2 °C | −17.7 °C (19 December 2009) | 23 out of 30 |
| Étobon | 425 m | −11 °C | −18 °C | −18 °C (1 March 2005) | 17 out of 21 |
| Vesoul (town) | 242 m | −11.5 °C | −16 °C | −18.5 °C (20 December 2009) | 22 out of 30 |
| Fougerolles (315 m) | 315 m | −11.6 °C | −16.6 °C | −18.6 °C (20 December 2009) | 22 out of 28 |
| Saulx | 312 m | −12 °C | −16.5 °C | −18 °C (20 December 2009) | 20 out of 25 |
| Poyans | 202 m | −12 °C | −18.2 °C | −19 °C (24 December 2001) | 19 out of 25 |
| Plancher-les-Mines | 529 m | −12 °C | −17.5 °C | −18 °C (20 December 2009) | 28 out of 30 |
| Montureux-lès-Baulay | 217 m | −12.4 °C | −17.4 °C | −17.4 °C (1 January 1997) | 20 out of 25 |
| Combeaufontaine | 252 m | −12.5 °C | −17 °C | −18.5 °C (24 December 2001) | 23 out of 29 |
| Aillevillers-et-Lyaumont | 275 m | −12.5 °C | −17 °C | −18 °C (20 December 2009) | 25 out of 30 |
| Luxeuil-les-Bains | 271 m | −12.9 °C | −17.8 °C | −18.3 °C (24 December 2001) | 26 out of 30 |
| Fougerolles (473 m) | 473 m | −13 °C | −16 °C | −18 °C (20 December 2009) | 20 out of 25 |
| La Quarte | 362 m | −13 °C | −16.5 °C | −18 °C (20 December 2009) | 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. On 20 December 2009, Rioz fell to −21.8 °C, Villersexel to −19.4 °C and Vesoul to −18.5 °C; on 24 December 2001, Poyans, near Gray, recorded −19.0 °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-Saône
- Avoid hollows. Cold air flows down and collects at the bottom of valleys and in basins. The records show it: one winter in ten, Vesoul falls to −16.0 °C, while Frotey-lès-Vesoul, higher up, stays at −13.3 °C. Plant halfway up a slope or against a south-facing wall, never at the lowest point of the garden.
- Cover citranges in every severe cold spell. They withstand −15 °C, like Yuzu and Yuzu 3: with a fleece, all of them get through the winter throughout the département, only just at the foot of the Vosges, in the Jussey area and in the Ognon valley. Keep the other citrus trees in pots, brought in for the winter to a bright room protected from frost.
- Take care of drainage. The soils often stay wet in winter throughout the département. In chalky or heavy soil, plant on a mound.
- Choose the rootstock for your soil. Poncirus is the most cold-resistant. In acid soil, as often at the foot of the Vosges, 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 Vesoul?
No. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and the Vesoul basin 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. You will find them in Lemons and lemon substitutes.
Which citrus trees withstand the cold best in Haute-Saône?
Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3, which withstand −15 °C: they spend the winter in the ground throughout the département, with a fleece in every severe cold spell. The other yuzus (Yuzu 30, thornless, Tada Nishiki) and satsumas, which withstand −10 to −12 °C, stay 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 not enough for Haute-Saône. Keep them in pots, brought in for the winter to a bright room protected from frost.
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).