Local planting guide · California
zip 90014
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
Zone 10b in Los Angeles offers a year-round growing season with no winter frost risk. The last spring frost date of December 31st and first fall frost date of December 28th are statistical artifacts; gardening here operates in perpetual frost-free conditions. The real constraint is heat and drought. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 95°F, and urban heat island effect in downtown LA amplifies this. Water availability and irrigation efficiency become central to success. Year-round growing sounds ideal, but the challenge is choosing what to plant when, because traditional seasonal cues don't apply. Tomatoes, peppers (sweet and hot), eggplant, and sweet potato flourish in warm months but struggle with cool-season diseases in winter. Figs thrive here, as do herbs like basil and rosemary, though rosemary's drought tolerance makes it more reliable. The sample crops listed for this zip reflect LA's Mediterranean-like climate: heat-lovers that need irrigation but tolerate neglect once established. Unlike cooler zones, the question here isn't "will this survive?" but "when should I plant this, and how much water do I need?"
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
Downtown Los Angeles gardeners face three specific obstacles. First, intense summer heat (95 to 105°F or higher) stresses heat-loving crops like tomato during peak season; fruit sunscald on tomatoes and peppers is common in July and August without afternoon shade cloth. Second, sporadic winter chill creates pest pressure: spider mites thrive year-round without hard frost to interrupt their cycle, and whiteflies explode in spring if not monitored. Third, air quality and smog during summer ozone episodes stunt foliage growth and reduce pollinator visits, affecting fruiting crops like tomato and eggplant. Winter brings unexpected challenges too: rare but devastating freezes (temperatures dropping to 35°F) can occur in January and February and kill frost-sensitive crops like sweet potato or newly planted basil. Water restrictions in drought years force difficult choices about which beds to abandon.
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
Shade-crop strategically through summer. Plant tomatoes and peppers for early summer harvest (transplants in April and May), then pull them in July and August and replace with shade-tolerant herbs and leafy greens. Return to heat-lovers in October and November for winter and spring production.
Manage spider mites with predatory insects year-round. Since there's no killing frost, spider mites never fully die back. Introduce mite-eating phytoseiid mites in April and September (peak population booms) to avoid pesticide dependency.
Protect against rare cold snaps. The December 28 first-fall-frost date is meaningless for planning, but January temperatures can dip to 35 to 40°F unexpectedly. Keep frost cloth and cloches on hand for sweet potato, basil, and tender perennials. A single night of 35°F frost can wipe out an entire bed of frost-sensitive plants.
Frequently asked questions
- What grows best year-round in Los Angeles?
Figs, rosemary, and basil thrive in both warm and cool seasons with minimal intervention. Tomatoes and peppers do best spring through fall; most varieties produce poorly in winter due to short days and cool nights. For winter production, choose short-season greens (lettuce, arugula) and brassicas instead.
- When should I start tomato transplants for Los Angeles?
Start seeds indoors in February and March for an April and May transplant window. This captures spring warmth and allows full production before peak summer heat arrives in July. For a second crop, start seeds again in July and August for October and November planting, which avoids midsummer stress.
- What's the biggest weather threat to gardens in Los Angeles?
Unexpected January freezes to 35 to 40°F are rare but devastating. Most gardeners don't prepare because the area feels frost-proof, then lose frost-sensitive crops like sweet potato or tender herbs overnight. Keep frost protection materials handy even though freezes rarely occur.
- Is a year-round growing season actually an advantage?
It sounds ideal, but it requires active crop rotation planning. Without winter dormancy cues, pest and disease pressure stays high year-round (spider mites never die back). Gardeners must deliberately plant off-season crops to break pest cycles rather than relying on natural frost.
- Why do my peppers produce poorly in winter?
Zone 10b winters are cool but frost-free, with daytime highs around 65 to 70°F and short days. Peppers need sustained heat (75°F or higher) and long days to flower and fruit. Winter growth is slow, and fruit set is rare; shift pepper planting to April and May for spring and summer production instead.
- How much water do I need in Los Angeles?
Summer demand is high (daily irrigation likely needed for vegetables). Winter demand drops (every 2 to 3 days, depending on rain). Mulch heavily and use drip irrigation to maximize efficiency. In drought years, prioritize drought-tolerant crops like figs, rosemary, and sweet potato vines.
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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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