In Saône-et-Loire, winters are cold for citrus trees, but the differences between one area and another stay moderate. One winter in ten, it falls to about −13 °C in the Mâconnais, −14 °C around Chalon and in the Charolais, −15 °C around Autun and Le Creusot, and −16 °C in the Bresse.
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:
−13 °Cone winter in ten
Mâcon and the Mâconnais
Mâcon, Charnay-lès-Mâcon, La Chapelle-de-Guinchay, Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly, Cluny
See the citrus trees for this area
The Saône valley and the Mâconnais hillsides are the mildest part of the département: −13 °C one winter in ten and −9 °C in an ordinary winter. The inland valleys are colder: Jalogny, near Cluny, falls to −15.4 °C, while Mâcon stays at −12.9 °C. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors here; the other yuzus, satsumas and kumquats need a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall. The other citrus trees stay in pots. The soil is sometimes chalky: plant on a mound.
Jalogny
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has silty soils, shallow chalky soils and river alluvium. In practice, the soil is often silty and 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 −13 °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 −10 °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
-
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
-
Ichang Lemon Shangyuan
down to −12 °C · €38.00
-
Fukushu Kumquat
down to −10 °C · €32.30
-
US 119
down to −12 °C · €35.00
See all 27 available plants that withstand −10 °C
Sold out for now: 25 other plants
On their page, “Notify me” lets you know when they are back: Ambersweet, Auline, Bendizao Mandarin, Corsican Mountain Orange, 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.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −10 °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
Charolais, Brionnais and the Loire valley
Paray-le-Monial, Digoin, Gueugnon, Bourbon-Lancy, Charolles, Marcigny, La Clayette, Matour
See the citrus trees for this area
The Charolais, the Brionnais and the Loire valley, from 240 to 470 m: −14 °C one winter in ten and −9 °C in an ordinary winter. The bocage, a country of small fields and hedges, around Charolles is the coldest: Charolles falls to −16.2 °C, while Paray-le-Monial stays at −13.1 °C and Beaubery, at 465 m, at −12.8 °C. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter here without protection; the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas need a fleece at each frost. Keep the other citrus trees in pots. The soil is sometimes clay: in heavy soil, plant on a mound.
Charolles
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has ordinary brown soils, silty soils and chalky soils. In practice, the soil is often 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.
−14 °Cone winter in ten
Chalon and the Côte Chalonnaise
Chalon-sur-Saône, Champforgeuil, Saint-Marcel, Chagny, Givry, Buxy, Couches
See the citrus trees for this area
The Saône valley around Chalon and the Côte Chalonnaise: −14 °C one winter in ten and −9 °C in an ordinary winter. The town has less frost than the countryside: Chalon-sur-Saône (VNF) stays at −13.1 °C, while Saint-Marcel, 3 km away, falls to −15.5 °C. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter here without protection; the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas need a fleece at each frost, against a south-facing wall. Keep the other citrus trees in pots.
Champforgeuil (Chalon)
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has silty soils, calcium-rich but barely chalky soils and ordinary brown soils. In practice, the soil is often 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 −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.
−15 °Cone winter in ten
Autun, Le Creusot and Montceau
Autun, Saint-Symphorien-de-Marmagne, Le Creusot, Torcy, Montceau-les-Mines, Blanzy, Mont-Saint-Vincent
See the citrus trees for this area
The Autun area and the Le Creusot and Montceau basin, from 300 to 600 m: −15 °C one winter in ten and −10 °C in an ordinary winter. The low ground is the coldest: Autun falls to −15.9 °C, while Mont-Saint-Vincent, at 601 m, stays at −13.1 °C. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter here without protection; the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas need a fleece at each frost. Keep the other citrus trees in pots. The soil is often acid.
Autun
The soil of the area and the rootstock
According to the soil map, this area mostly has acid soils, ordinary brown soils and silty 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 −15 °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 −12 °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
-
Sudachi Seneca
down to −12 °C · €42.00
-
Trivoss No. 1
down to −14 °C · €35.00
-
Citrangeremo
down to −14 °C · €29.75
-
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 14 available plants that withstand −12 °C
Sold out for now: 9 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 Saigon, Satsuma Waze, Thornless Yuzu.
The others: in a pot, brought in for the winter
Lemons, limes and less hardy citrus (more tender than −12 °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
Bresse
Louhans, Montpont-en-Bresse, Romenay, Varennes-Saint-Sauveur, Cuiseaux, Cuisery
See the citrus trees for this area
The Bresse plain, the coldest part of the département one winter in ten: −16 °C, against −10 °C in an ordinary winter. The cold is quite even here, from −15.0 °C at Romenay to −16.4 °C at Varennes-Saint-Sauveur. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter here with a fleece on very cold nights; keep the other citrus trees in pots. The silty soil often stays wet in winter: plant on a mound.
Romenay
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 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 −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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chalon-sur-Saône (VNF) | 178 m | −7.7 °C | −13.1 °C | −13.3 °C (20 December 2009) | 8 out of 22 |
| Mâcon | 219 m | −7.9 °C | −12.9 °C | −16.2 °C (30 December 2005) | 11 out of 30 |
| Varennes-Saint-Sauveur | 207 m | −8.4 °C | −16.4 °C | −16.4 °C (30 December 2005) | 11 out of 24 |
| Fuissé | 260 m | −8.5 °C | −13 °C | −15.5 °C (30 December 2005) | 9 out of 20 |
| Gueugnon | 305 m | −8.6 °C | −13.5 °C | −14.3 °C (5 February 2012) | 14 out of 30 |
| Mont-Saint-Vincent | 601 m | −8.7 °C | −13.1 °C | −15.5 °C (7 February 2012) | 15 out of 30 |
| Briant | 390 m | −9 °C | −14.2 °C | −14.7 °C (31 December 1996) | 13 out of 24 |
| Saint-Symphorien-de-Marmagne | 349 m | −9 °C | −13.5 °C | −17 °C (20 December 2009) | 16 out of 30 |
| Beaubery | 465 m | −9.1 °C | −12.8 °C | −13.9 °C (7 February 2012) | 14 out of 24 |
| Champforgeuil (Chalon) | 187 m | −9.2 °C | −13.7 °C | −17.6 °C (20 December 2009) | 17 out of 30 |
| Saint-Maurice-lès-Couches | 300 m | −9.2 °C | −14.1 °C | −16.7 °C (20 December 2009) | 17 out of 30 |
| Cressy-sur-Somme | 287 m | −9.4 °C | −13.5 °C | −14.5 °C (7 February 2012) | 15 out of 24 |
| Buxy | 230 m | −9.4 °C | −15.1 °C | −16.1 °C (20 December 2009) | 12 out of 20 |
| Saint-Marcel | 187 m | −9.4 °C | −15.5 °C | −15.8 °C (30 December 2005) | 15 out of 24 |
| Paray-le-Monial | 267 m | −9.4 °C | −13.1 °C | −13.2 °C (13 January 2003) | 14 out of 21 |
| Saint-Yan | 242 m | −9.6 °C | −14.9 °C | −16.9 °C (31 December 1996) | 19 out of 30 |
| Romenay | 210 m | −9.7 °C | −15 °C | −17 °C (20 December 2009) | 15 out of 24 |
| La Guiche | 428 m | −9.9 °C | −15.7 °C | −16.1 °C (20 December 2009) | 15 out of 23 |
| Vitry-sur-Loire | 258 m | −10 °C | −13.2 °C | −13.5 °C (7 February 2012) | 12 out of 22 |
| Montpont-en-Bresse | 205 m | −10.1 °C | −15.5 °C | −16.5 °C (20 December 2009) | 17 out of 24 |
| Jalogny | 246 m | −10.3 °C | −15.4 °C | −19.1 °C (20 December 2009) | 19 out of 30 |
| Charolles | 309 m | −10.6 °C | −16.2 °C | −19.1 °C (20 December 2009) | 23 out of 30 |
| Autun | 303 m | −10.8 °C | −15.9 °C | −18.3 °C (20 December 2009) | 18 out of 30 |
| Torcy | 317 m | −10.9 °C | −15.3 °C | −16.7 °C (20 December 2009) | 15 out of 23 |
| Matour | 415 m | −11.1 °C | −14.9 °C | −16.4 °C (5 February 2012) | 23 out of 30 |
“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, Charolles and Jalogny, near Cluny, fell to −19.1 °C, Autun to −18.3 °C and Champforgeuil, near Chalon, to −17.6 °C; on 30 December 2005, Mâcon recorded −16.2 °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 Saône-et-Loire
- Avoid hollows. Cold air flows down and collects at the bottom of valleys. The records show it: one winter in ten, Autun falls to −15.9 °C, while Mont-Saint-Vincent, at 601 m, stays at −13.1 °C. Plant halfway up a slope or against a south-facing wall, never at the lowest point of the garden.
- Rely on the hardiest. Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3 spend the winter outdoors without protection everywhere, except in the Bresse, where they need a fleece. Outside the Bresse, the other yuzus (Yuzu 30, thornless, Tada Nishiki) and the hardiest satsumas can also be tried, with a fleece at each frost; in the Mâconnais, all satsumas and kumquats too. Keep the other citrus trees in pots, brought in for the winter to a bright room protected from frost.
- Take care of drainage. The soil of the Bresse often stays wet in winter; that of the Charolais is sometimes clay, that of the Mâconnais sometimes chalky. 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 around Autun and Le Creusot, 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 Chalon-sur-Saône?
No. Lemon trees withstand about −5 °C, and Chalon falls to around −9 °C even in an ordinary winter. Keep them in pots, brought in for the winter to a bright room protected from frost. For a sour fruit, see our lemons and lemon substitutes: Yuzu and Yuzu 3 are grown outdoors without protection everywhere, with a fleece in the Bresse; the other yuzus need a fleece everywhere, except in the Bresse, where they stay in pots.
Which citrus trees withstand the cold best in Saône-et-Loire?
Citranges, Yuzu and Yuzu 3, which withstand −15 °C: they spend the winter outdoors without protection everywhere, except in the Bresse, where they need a fleece on very cold nights. Outside the Bresse, the other yuzus and the hardiest satsumas also hold out, with a fleece at each frost; in the Bresse, 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 not enough for Saône-et-Loire, even in the Mâconnais. 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).