The USDA plant hardiness zones were originally established for the United States, but are now widely used for other countries. The hardiness zones are based on the concept of the average winter minimum temperatures. (When trying to understand what this means, note the words 'average' and 'minimum' in particular). The lower the number, the colder the winter climate in that area. Zone 3 is the coldest zone in which it is still generally possible to grow fruit trees. The warmest zone in Europe is zone 10, which corresponds to winter temperatures in the range -1C to 4C.
The climate zone is important for deciding the best time to plant fruit trees. It also affects which species and varieties can be grown, as well as the choice of rootstock for grafted fruit trees.
Our fruit tree search pages and product pages include details of the minimum USDA hardiness zone for each variety. Don't hesitate to contact us for advice if you are not sure about the best fruit trees for your local climate.
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Czechia
- Denmark
- France
- Germany
- Ireland
- Italy
- Hungary
- Lithuania
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Spain
- Sweden
BelgiumBelgium has a maritime climate, mostly in zone 8 and fruit trees can be planted at any time in the winter.
- Antwerp8a
- Brussels8b
- Ghent8b
- Liege8a
- Namur8a
Bulgaria
Western Bulgaria, including Sofia, lies mostly in zones 7a and 7b, while eastern Bulgaria, nearer to the Black Sea, is typically zones 7b and 8. Early spring is the best time to plant fruit trees.
- Burgas8a
- Sofia7a
CzechiaThe whole of Czechia lies in zone 7 and the best time to plant fruit trees is generally in early spring.
- Brno7a
- Prague7b
DenmarkDenmark has a mild maritime climate and lies mostly in zone 8. Fruit trees can be planted at any time during the winter.
- Aalborg7b
- Aarhus8a
- Copenhagen8a
- Esbjerg8a
- Odense8a
FranceMost of western, central, northern and southern France lies in zones 8b to 10a, with minimum temperatures unlikely to be a problem for planting fruit trees.
The mountainous areas are mostly in zone 7, and spring planting is likely to be the safest option.
- Bordeaux9a
- Lille8b
- Paris9a
- Strasbourg8a
GermanyAlmost the whole of Germany lies in zone 8, with minimum temperatures down to about -12C, so the best time for planting fruit trees is likely to be late February. The areas near the Polish border are noticeably colder, down to zone 7, as is much of Bavaria. Spring planting is best for these areas.
- Aachen8b
- Berlin8a
- Bonn8a
- Hamburg8a
- Munich7a
IrelandThe island of Ireland lies almost entirely in zones 8 and 9, and fruit trees can be planted at any time during the winter.
- Bari9a
- Como8a
- Milan8a
- Palermo9b
- Rome8a
ItalyItaly has a good climate for fruit trees. Southern Italy is mostly zone 10, with temperatures rarely falling below freezing at all. In these areas fruit trees can be planted between December and February. Northern Italy is mostly zone 9, while the mountainous areas of the north and centre are zones 7 and 8a.
- Carlow8a
- Cork9a
- Dublin9a
- Galway9a
- Limerick9a
Hungary
Hungary lies almost entirely in zone 7. Western Hungary and Budapest is mostly zone 7a while eastern Hungary is mostly zone 7a.
It is possible to plant fruit trees in late November, but much safer to plant in late February or early March.
- Budapest7b
LithuaniaLithuania falls primarily in zone 6, with average winter minimum temperatures falling below 20C. Fruit trees should be planted in early spring.
- Klaipeda6b
- Kaunas6a
- Vilnius6a
NetherlandsThe whole of the Netherlands has a mild maritime climate, mostly zone 8. Fruit trees can be planted at any time in the winter.
- Amsterdam8b
- Eindhoven8a
- Groningen8a
- Nijmegen8a
- Rotterdam8b
- The Hague8b
PolandWith the exception of the Baltic coast, which is zone 8, most of Poland lies in zone 6b and zone 7a. The best time to plant fruit trees is in early spring.
- Gdansk7a
- Krawkow7a
- Warsaw6b
PortugalThe climate of Portugal is dominated by the Atlantic ocean and winter temperatures rarely fall below freezing. Fruit trees can be planted at any time in the winter.
- Lisbon10b
- Porto10a
SpainApart from the Pyrenees mountains most of Spain lies in zone 9 or above, and therefore fruit trees can be planted all winter.
- Barcelona10a
- Bilbao9b
- Madrid9a
- Seville10a
- Valencia10a
- Zaragoza9b
SwedenSouthern Sweden is zone 7a, with minimum winter temperatures down to about -17C. The coastal areas are zone 8a. Central and northern Sweden is much colder - zones 5 or 4. Fruit trees should be planted in early spring once the ground has thawed.
- Lulea4a
- Gothenburg7b
- Malmo8a
- Stockholm7a