Meyer Lemon: where to plant it in the ground?

Hardiness −5 °C. Municipality by municipality, depending on how cautious you are about frost. See the page “Meyer Lemon – Acidic citrus / lemon”

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Layers

Meyer Lemon: 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 −5 °C) survives without protection in 0.6% of the municipalities of mainland France, with a winter fleece in 5.2%, and should be grown in a pot in 94.2%.

It survives without protection only in places: less than a quarter of the municipalities in each region.

A “Cautious” gardener (the worst winter of the last 30 years) will see it survive without protection in 0.1% of municipalities; a “Bold” one (the coldest of the last 5 winters) in 4.8%, 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 – in a pot−9 °C – in a pot−5 °C – without protection
Marseille−10 °C – in a pot−8 °C – with a fleece−5 °C – without protection
Lyon−14 °C – in a pot−11 °C – in a pot−8 °C – with a fleece
Toulouse−12 °C – in a pot−9 °C – in a pot−9 °C – in a pot
Nice−5 °C – without protection−4 °C – without protection−1 °C – without protection
Nantes−11 °C – in a pot−9 °C – in a pot−7 °C – with a fleece
Montpellier−10 °C – in a pot−8 °C – with a fleece−6 °C – with a fleece
Strasbourg−14 °C – in a pot−13 °C – in a pot−9 °C – in a pot
Bordeaux−9 °C – in a pot−8 °C – with a fleece−6 °C – with a fleece
Lille−13 °C – in a pot−12 °C – in a pot−8 °C – with a fleece
Rennes−10 °C – in a pot−9 °C – in a pot−6 °C – with a fleece
Reims−16 °C – in a pot−13 °C – in a pot−11 °C – in a pot
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 – in a pot
Le Havre−11 °C – in a pot−7 °C – with a fleece−6 °C – with a fleece
Grenoble−19 °C – in a pot−17 °C – in a pot−12 °C – in a pot
Dijon−19 °C – in a pot−15 °C – in a pot−8 °C – with a fleece
Angers−12 °C – in a pot−11 °C – in a pot−6 °C – with a fleece
Nîmes−8 °C – with a fleece−7 °C – with a fleece−4 °C – without protection
Clermont-Ferrand−18 °C – in a pot−15 °C – in a pot−12 °C – in a pot
Aix-en-Provence−11 °C – in a pot−9 °C – in a pot−6 °C – with a fleece
Brest−7 °C – with a fleece−6 °C – with a fleece−4 °C – without protection
Tours−14 °C – in a pot−12 °C – in a pot−7 °C – with a fleece
Limoges−15 °C – in a pot−11 °C – in a pot−9 °C – in a pot
Perpignan−6 °C – with a fleece−6 °C – with a fleece−4 °C – without protection
Metz−16 °C – in a pot−15 °C – in a pot−11 °C – in a pot
Besançon−18 °C – in a pot−16 °C – in a pot−11 °C – in a pot
Orléans−14 °C – in a pot−14 °C – in a pot−10 °C – in a pot
Pau−11 °C – in a pot−9 °C – in a pot−8 °C – with a fleece
La Rochelle−9 °C – in a pot−7 °C – with a fleece−7 °C – with a fleece

Frequently asked questions

Can Meyer Lemon 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 −5 °C, Meyer Lemon is: in a pot (Cautious), in a pot (Reasonable), without protection (Bold).

Can Meyer Lemon 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 −5 °C, Meyer Lemon is: in a pot (Cautious), in a pot (Reasonable), with a fleece (Bold).

Where can Meyer Lemon be planted in the ground without protection?

It survives without protection only in places: less than a quarter of the municipalities in each region. Look up your municipality on the map above.

Does Meyer Lemon need a winter fleece?

For the Reasonable profile, a fleece is enough in 5.2% 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

Meyer offers juicy fruit with a distinctive fragrance beneath a rind that can turn yellow-orange when ripe.

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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