Los Angeles in Bloom: the Huntington Gardens, Jacarandas and Poppy Fields

Los Angeles brings to mind Hollywood and beaches, but its mild Mediterranean climate has also made it a city of gardens. Plants from every continent grow here, streets turn purple in spring, and orange poppies bloom in the nearby desert. Here is what flower lovers should see.

Sunny bouquets delivered: spray roses and flower baskets.

View full-size photo

Gardens of Los Angeles

• The Huntington (San Marino). A library, museum and botanical garden with a dozen themed gardens, including a cactus-filled desert garden, Japanese and Chinese gardens and a rose garden.
• Descanso Gardens. Known for one of the largest camellia collections in North America, with thousands of shrubs flowering in winter and early spring.
• The Getty Center. Besides the museum, it has the Central Garden, created by artist Robert Irwin as a “sculpture in the form of a garden”.
• Los Angeles Arboretum (Arcadia). Plants from around the world, with peacocks roaming the paths.

View full-size photo

Flowering seasons

• March–April: poppies. In the Antelope Valley reserve, a couple of hours from the city, the California poppy, the state flower, blooms. In wet years a “superbloom” turns whole hillsides orange.
• May–June: jacarandas. Trees with purple flowers colour the city’s streets.
• Winter: camellias. Peak bloom at Descanso Gardens.

View full-size photo

In the reserve, wild poppies must not be picked and visitors must stay on the trails. For gardens elsewhere, see Spain in flower and flower parks and plantations.

FAQ

When do the poppies bloom near Los Angeles?

Usually from mid-March into April; the display depends on winter rain.

Which garden should I choose with only one day?

The Huntington, which combines desert, Japanese and Chinese gardens, a rose garden and a museum on one site.

View full-size photo

Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.