Local planting guide · California
zip 90011
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 zone 10b with virtually no frost risk year-round. The last spring frost date averages December 31, and the first fall frost averages December 28, meaning frost is not a practical constraint for gardening decisions. The dominant limitation instead is summer heat. This creates two distinct growing seasons: summer is best for heat-loving crops like figs, peppers, eggplant, and basil, which thrive in the intense sun and warm soil. Winter (October through February) is the cool season, ideal for growing tomatoes, lettuce, brassicas, and other traditionally cool-season crops that would bolt or decline during summer heat. The year-round growing window is an asset, but it requires treating summer and winter as separate planting seasons rather than a single long season. Water availability is also a secondary constraint; most LA gardens rely on supplemental irrigation during the dry season.
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 most common growing problems in Los Angeles arise from the intense summer heat and the extended dry season. Tomatoes planted in spring will often sunscald during peak summer unless shaded; success instead comes from selecting heat-tolerant varieties or adding shade cloth in June. A second challenge is pest persistence year-round. Without killing frosts in winter, scale insects, spider mites, and whiteflies survive and build populations across all seasons, requiring vigilant monitoring and occasional intervention even in winter. Third, many ornamentals and food crops suffer from intense UV exposure combined with alkaline soils common to LA. Leaf scald appears on thin-leaved plants during summer; selecting heat-tolerant varieties and adjusting soil pH where feasible helps.
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
Timing beats variety for summer heat. Plant tomatoes and warm-season crops from February through April, not May or June. An early-February tomato germinates slowly in cool soil but reaches production before the worst heat arrives in July and August, while May plantings endure peak summer stress as they establish. Reverse the seasons. Treat November through February as the primary growing season. Lettuce, brassicas, and root crops germinate reliably in cool soil and mature before summer heat. Succession-plant lettuce every three weeks through winter for continuous harvest. Use shade cloth June through August. Provide 30 to 50 percent shade for eggplant, peppers, and late-spring-planted crops. Shade reduces leaf scald, moderates soil temperature, and cuts water demand significantly compared to full-sun exposure.
Frequently asked questions
- What crops grow year-round in Los Angeles?
Figs, citrus, herbs like basil and rosemary, and potted vegetables on rotation do. Most traditional crops thrive better in one season: warm-season crops (peppers, eggplant, tomato, sweet potato) peak May through October; cool-season crops (lettuce, brassicas, beans, root crops) succeed November through March.
- When do I plant tomatoes in zone 10b Los Angeles?
Mid-February through April produces the most reliable harvests. February plantings fruit earliest; April plantings mature later but often avoid the worst summer heat stress. Fall planting (August through September) is possible for a winter harvest, but requires managing fungal disease pressure.
- Is frost ever a threat in Los Angeles?
Frost is not a practical planting constraint in Los Angeles. NOAA records show frost dates clustering in late December, making traditional frost-free calculations meaningless for gardening decisions. Plan around heat and water availability instead.
- How do I manage the extreme summer heat?
Provide 30 to 50 percent shade cloth June through August for heat-sensitive crops. Increase mulch depth to 3 inches to buffer soil temperature. Select heat-tolerant varieties, choose taller plant types that keep fruit shaded from intense afternoon sun, and use drip irrigation to maintain consistent soil moisture.
- Why do my summer tomatoes sunscald?
Intense LA sun exposure on fruit left without shade causes sunscald. Shade cloth or the natural leaf cover of dense plants prevents it. Early-season (February) planting avoids the worst July-August sun intensity.
- Can I grow cool-season crops in LA?
Yes, winter is the prime season for them. Plant lettuce, spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and root crops September through November for October-March harvest. LA's mild winters suit cool-season crops better than hot springs.
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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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