Satsuma China S-3: where to plant it in the ground?

Hardiness −10 °C. Municipality by municipality, depending on how cautious you are about frost. See the page “Satsuma China S-3 – Satsuma mandarin”

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Layers

Satsuma China S-3: where to plant it in the ground?
  • Without protection one winter in ten (Reasonable profile)
  • With a winter fleece put on during frosty nights (one winter in ten)
  • In a pot, sheltered in winter
  • Black line: limit of the Bold profile. On one side it came through the last 5 winters without protection; on the other (towards the colder regions), even those winters were too cold for it.
Hover over or tap a municipality, or search for it by name.

© Greffeur d’agrumes 2026 – greffeurdagrumes.com

In short

For a “Reasonable” gardener (the cold of one winter in ten), this variety (hardiness −10 °C) survives without protection in 21.0% of the municipalities of mainland France, with a winter fleece in 34.9%, and should be grown in a pot in 44.1%.

It survives without protection in most municipalities of: Brittany. And in part of the municipalities of: Pays de la Loire, Occitanie, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Normandy.

A “Cautious” gardener (the worst winter of the last 30 years) will see it survive without protection in 6.9% of municipalities; a “Bold” one (the coldest of the last 5 winters) in 72.7%, at the risk of a harsh winter damaging it.

Details: 30 large cities and frequently asked questions
Cold used and verdict in 30 large cities (centre of the municipality)
CityCautiousReasonableBold
Paris−12 °C – with a fleece−9 °C – without protection−5 °C – without protection
Marseille−10 °C – without protection−8 °C – without protection−5 °C – without protection
Lyon−14 °C – in a pot−11 °C – with a fleece−8 °C – without protection
Toulouse−12 °C – with a fleece−9 °C – without protection−9 °C – without protection
Nice−5 °C – without protection−4 °C – without protection−1 °C – without protection
Nantes−11 °C – with a fleece−9 °C – without protection−7 °C – without protection
Montpellier−10 °C – without protection−8 °C – without protection−6 °C – without protection
Strasbourg−14 °C – in a pot−13 °C – with a fleece−9 °C – without protection
Bordeaux−9 °C – without protection−8 °C – without protection−6 °C – without protection
Lille−13 °C – with a fleece−12 °C – with a fleece−8 °C – without protection
Rennes−10 °C – without protection−9 °C – without protection−6 °C – without protection
Reims−16 °C – in a pot−13 °C – with a fleece−11 °C – with a fleece
Toulon−3 °C – without protection−3 °C – without protection−3 °C – without protection
Saint-Étienne−17 °C – in a pot−15 °C – in a pot−10 °C – without protection
Le Havre−11 °C – with a fleece−7 °C – without protection−6 °C – without protection
Grenoble−19 °C – in a pot−17 °C – in a pot−12 °C – with a fleece
Dijon−19 °C – in a pot−15 °C – in a pot−8 °C – without protection
Angers−12 °C – with a fleece−11 °C – with a fleece−6 °C – without protection
Nîmes−8 °C – without protection−7 °C – without protection−4 °C – without protection
Clermont-Ferrand−18 °C – in a pot−15 °C – in a pot−12 °C – with a fleece
Aix-en-Provence−11 °C – with a fleece−9 °C – without protection−6 °C – without protection
Brest−7 °C – without protection−6 °C – without protection−4 °C – without protection
Tours−14 °C – in a pot−12 °C – with a fleece−7 °C – without protection
Limoges−15 °C – in a pot−11 °C – with a fleece−9 °C – without protection
Perpignan−6 °C – without protection−6 °C – without protection−4 °C – without protection
Metz−16 °C – in a pot−15 °C – in a pot−11 °C – with a fleece
Besançon−18 °C – in a pot−16 °C – in a pot−11 °C – with a fleece
Orléans−14 °C – in a pot−14 °C – in a pot−10 °C – without protection
Pau−11 °C – with a fleece−9 °C – without protection−8 °C – without protection
La Rochelle−9 °C – without protection−7 °C – without protection−7 °C – without protection

Frequently asked questions

Can Satsuma China S-3 survive winter in the ground in Paris?

In Paris, the cold used is −12 °C for a cautious gardener, −9 °C one winter in ten and −5 °C for a bold one. With a hardiness of −10 °C, Satsuma China S-3 is: with a fleece (Cautious), without protection (Reasonable), without protection (Bold).

Can Satsuma China S-3 survive winter in the ground in Lyon?

In Lyon, the cold used is −14 °C for a cautious gardener, −11 °C one winter in ten and −8 °C for a bold one. With a hardiness of −10 °C, Satsuma China S-3 is: in a pot (Cautious), with a fleece (Reasonable), without protection (Bold).

Where can Satsuma China S-3 be planted in the ground without protection?

It survives without protection in most municipalities of: Brittany. And in part of the municipalities of: Pays de la Loire, Occitanie, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Normandy. Look up your municipality on the map above.

Does Satsuma China S-3 need a winter fleece?

For the Reasonable profile, a fleece is enough in 34.9% of municipalities (ochre hatching on the map). Put it on for each frost and take it off as soon as the frost is over. Where the map stays grey, grow it in a pot, sheltered in winter.

About this variety

China S-3 is a satsuma (Citrus unshiu ‘China S-3’), distinct from China S-2, ripe here around mid-October, with orange flesh while the skin is still green; indicative hardiness -10 °C.

Cold: Météo-France records (Licence Ouverte), winters 1996-1997 to 2025-2026, estimated for each municipality from nearby stations and altitude; near the eastern border, also Deutscher Wetterdienst (Datenlizenz Deutschland 2.0). Municipalities and boundaries: INSEE, IGN (Licence Ouverte).

Hardiness: as shown on the variety page, for an adult, acclimatised plant during a short frost. Your garden may be milder or colder than the centre of the municipality. Put the fleece on for each frost and take it off as soon as the frost is over.

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