Local planting guide · California
zip 90008
Los Angeles is in USDA hardiness zone 10b, with average winter lows of 35°F to 40°F. The local growing season runs roughly 12/31 through 12/28 (~365 days). This zip falls within the California growing region.
- USDA zone
- 10b 35°F to 40°F
- Last spring frost
- 12/31
- First fall frost
- 12/28
- Growing season
- 365 days
- Compatible crops
- 23
- Growing region
- California
Right now in Los Angeles
Week 18 priorities
On the docket: transplant out after last frost · direct sow after last frost. See the full calendar →
Gardening in Los Angeles
Los Angeles sits in USDA hardiness zone 10b, where winter lows typically fall between 35 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit. What makes Los Angeles distinctive is the absence of meaningful frost risk: the last spring frost occurs around December 31 and the first fall frost around December 28, meaning frost threat is confined to a few days in late December. The remaining 364 days are frost-free, enabling a year-round 365-day growing season. Rather than escaping winter cold, Los Angeles gardeners navigate summer heat and drought. Heat-loving crops like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, sweet potato, basil, and rosemary thrive during spring and summer months when they receive full-intensity sun. Figs and other Mediterranean crops flourish with minimal winter protection. The trade-off is that cool-season crops such as lettuce, broccoli, and peas require careful timing to mature before late spring heat stalls growth and causes them to bolt.
Regional context · California
What the California brings to Los Angeles
From cool foggy coast to hot Central Valley to mountain to desert. Mediterranean climate dominates: wet winters, dry summers. The most productive agricultural state in the country, with reach into citrus and olives that exceed the rest of the country.
Common challenges
Issues that most often defeat home gardeners in zone 10b, drawn from the broader USDA zone profile.
- ▸ No winter chill
- ▸ Tropical pest and disease pressure
- ▸ Saltwater intrusion in coastal soils
What defeats new gardeners in Los Angeles
The two most common challenges for Los Angeles gardeners are heat-driven bolting of cool-season crops and water scarcity. Cool-season crops bolt quickly when planted in spring because temperatures climb too fast for heads to form before the plant shifts to flowering. Many gardeners attempt to grow lettuce or broccoli in April or May, only to watch plants flower before reaching harvest size. Los Angeles experiences hot, dry summers with historically low rainfall from May through October. Water restrictions are common during this period, and even with irrigation, heat stress can kill young plants or reduce yields on heat-sensitive varieties. Powdery mildew can develop on squash and other crops during warm, dry months when overhead watering isn't an option.
Crops that grow in Los Angeles
23 crops from our catalog match zone 10b, grouped by type.
Tree fruit
12 crops
zone 10b Fig
Ficus carica
zones 7a–10b
zone 10b Lemon
Citrus limon
zones 9a–11b
zone 10b Orange
Citrus sinensis
zones 9a–11b
zone 10b Lime
Citrus aurantiifolia
zones 9b–11b
zone 10b Grapefruit
Citrus paradisi
zones 9a–11b
zone 10b Mango
Mangifera indica
zones 10b–13b
zone 10b Avocado
Persea americana
zones 9b–11b
zone 10b Banana
Musa acuminata
zones 9b–13b
Berries
2 crops
Nuts
1 crop
Vegetables
6 crops
zone 10b Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
zones 3a–10b
zone 10b Sweet Pepper
Capsicum annuum
zones 4a–10b
zone 10b Hot Pepper
Capsicum species
zones 4a–10b
zone 10b Eggplant
Solanum melongena
zones 5a–10b
zone 10b Sweet Potato
Ipomoea batatas
zones 6a–10b
zone 10b Okra
Abelmoschus esculentus
zones 6a–10b
Herbs
2 crops
Plan the year
Planting calendar for Los Angeles
Year-view of seed starting, transplanting, planting, pruning, fertilizing, harvest, and pest-watch windows tuned to Los Angeles's local frost dates.
Week ? · loading
This week in Los Angeles, CA (zone 10b)
Quiet week in Los Angeles, CA (zone 10b). this week is a good time to step back and plan ahead.
Nothing critical on the calendar this week.
128 bars · 23 crops
Calendar logic combines NOAA frost normals with crop-specific timing data. Local microclimate and weather always overrules the calendar; use this as a starting point.
Top pests for zone 10b
Ranked by how many crops in your zone they affect. Click through for IPM controls and signs to watch for.
Pseudococcidae spp.
Soft white waxy insects that cluster at leaf joints, fruit stems, and root crowns. Honeydew secretion supports sooty mold; root mealybugs cause decline that mimics drought.
Coccoidea spp.
Sap-sucking insects that attach to bark, leaves, and fruit, secreting honeydew that fuels sooty mold. Heavy infestations weaken trees and cause leaf yellowing.
Ceratitis capitata
Quarantine pest in many regions. Adult females puncture ripening fruit to lay eggs; larvae tunnel through the flesh, causing premature drop and rot.
Multiple species (Aphididae)
Small soft-bodied sap-sucking insects that reproduce explosively in spring. Excrete honeydew that supports sooty mold and attracts ants. Transmit viral diseases.
Meloidogyne species
Microscopic soil-dwelling worm that forms galls on roots, reducing vigor and yield.
Multiple species (Aleyrodidae)
Tiny white moth-like flying insects that feed on plant sap and excrete honeydew. Transmit numerous viral diseases including tomato yellow leaf curl virus.
Multiple species (Chrysomelidae)
Tiny black or bronze jumping beetles that put hundreds of small holes in seedling leaves. Most damaging on direct-seeded brassicas and young eggplant.
Anastrepha suspensa
Tropical fruit fly endemic to Florida and the Caribbean. Less aggressive on commercial citrus than Mediterranean fruit fly, but devastating on guava, carambola, and other thin-skinned tropicals.
Top diseases for zone 10b
Ranked by how many crops in your zone they affect. Click through for symptoms, controls, and resistant varieties.
Capnodium spp.
Black fungal coating that grows on honeydew secreted by aphids, scale, mealybugs, and whiteflies. Doesn't infect plant tissue directly but blocks photosynthesis and disfigures fruit.
Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
Most damaging mango disease worldwide. Fungal spores infect blossoms and developing fruit during humid weather, producing black sunken lesions that expand on ripening fruit.
Sclerotium rolfsii
Soil-borne fungal disease most damaging in warm humid Southern conditions. White mycelial fans and small mustard-seed-sized sclerotia at the soil line are diagnostic.
Fusarium oxysporum
Soil-borne fungal disease that plugs vascular tissue and kills affected plants. Persists in soil for many years; impossible to eliminate once established.
Verticillium dahliae
Soil-borne fungal disease similar to fusarium wilt but with broader host range and cooler temperature optimum. Persists in soil for 10+ years.
Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus
Devastating bacterial disease vectored by the Asian citrus psyllid. Once infected, trees decline progressively over several years and there is no cure. Has destroyed commercial citrus across Florida and threatens production worldwide.
Xanthomonas citri
Bacterial disease producing raised corky lesions on leaves, twigs, and fruit. Spread by wind-driven rain and contaminated tools. Quarantine-regulated in many areas.
Xanthomonas euvesicatoria and X. perforans
Bacterial disease causing leaf spots and fruit blemishes on pepper and tomato. Severe in warm humid weather, transmitted via splashing water and seed.
Companion planting suggestions
Beneficial pairings drawn from companion data, filtered to crops that grow in zone 10b.
- Fig + Rosemary
Rosemary tolerates the dry sites figs prefer and provides aromatic pest deterrence.
- Tomato + Basil
The classic Italian pairing. Basil's volatile oils are reported to repel hornworms and whiteflies, and the two crops share the same warm-season schedule and water needs. Plant basil between tomato cages.
- Sweet Pepper + Basil
Same warm-season culture, same watering schedule. Basil reportedly improves pepper flavor and repels aphids and thrips that are pepper's primary pests.
- Hot Pepper + Basil
Compatible heat-loving culture, similar water needs. Basil interplanted between hot pepper plants supports beneficial insects and reduces aphid pressure.
- Okra + Hot Pepper
Both heat-loving warm-season crops with similar water and fertility needs. Hot pepper at okra's base benefits from the slight afternoon shade in extreme summer heat.
Soil types reference
Soil texture and pH decide what grows easily on your specific lot. Find the closest match below for crop recommendations and amendment guidance.
Practical tips for Los Angeles
Reverse the standard planting calendar: treat fall and winter (October through February) as the primary season for cool-season crops. Plant lettuce, brassicas, and peas to finish before late spring warmth. Second, prioritize heat-adapted crops during the warm season (March through September): tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, sweet potato, figs, basil, and rosemary thrive when temperatures climb. Third, plan for a slower-paced or dormant period in peak summer (late June through early August). Rather than struggling against 90°F+ heat, amend soil, install drip irrigation, or rest the beds. Resume active planting in late August and early September to catch the mild fall growing season.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the best time to plant tomatoes in Los Angeles?
Tomatoes can be planted in early spring (January to March) for a main season harvest in May through July, or again in late summer (August) for a fall crop through October. Both windows work well in zone 10b; choose the timing that suits your tolerance for heat and preference for harvest season.
- Can I grow cool-season crops like lettuce and broccoli in Los Angeles?
Yes, but only during fall and winter (October through February). Plant in late summer for fall harvest, or in fall for winter and early-spring harvest. Avoid planting in spring, as late-spring heat will cause bolting before plants reach full size.
- Why is there essentially no frost risk in Los Angeles?
Frost risk is confined to a narrow window in late December (around the 28th through 31st). For the remaining 364 days of the year, winter lows remain well above freezing, and spring through fall nights are frost-free. This creates an unusually long growing season that defines Los Angeles gardening.
- What crops grow best in Los Angeles?
Heat-loving crops flourish: tomatoes, peppers (sweet and hot), eggplant, sweet potato, figs, basil, and rosemary all thrive in the warm months. Cool-season greens, brassicas, and root crops do best from October through February. The key is matching crop choice to season rather than trying to extend one crop year-round.
- What's the biggest weather challenge for gardeners in Los Angeles?
Heat and water scarcity, not cold. Summer temperatures can exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit, stalling cool-season crops and increasing water demand. Late-spring heat can bolt lettuce or broccoli before they mature. Plan around this heat dynamic rather than against it.
- When should I take a break from planting in Los Angeles?
Late June through early August is the most challenging period due to peak heat and low rainfall. Instead of fighting these conditions, use this time to amend soil, install or improve irrigation, or rest your beds. Resume planting in late August when temperatures moderate slightly.
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Frost data: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020, station USW00023152. Local microclimates can shift these dates by a week or more.
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