Local planting guide · California
zip 90079
Los Angeles is in USDA hardiness zone 10b, with average winter lows of 35°F to 40°F. The local growing season runs roughly 01/09 through 01/05 (~365 days). This zip falls within the California growing region.
- USDA zone
- 10b 35°F to 40°F
- Last spring frost
- 01/09
- First fall frost
- 01/05
- 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 winter lows of 35 to 40°F, creating a growing season that spans all 365 days of the year. The last spring frost typically arrives around January 9, and significant cold is unlikely to return until early January of the following year. This near-total frost protection allows warm-season crops like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and sweet potato to establish and produce across most months, alongside Mediterranean staples like rosemary and basil. Figs, a signature crop for coastal California, flourish in zone 10b with minimal intervention. The dominant gardening constraint in Los Angeles is not frost but rather the opposite: summer heat and water availability. Peak daytime temperatures regularly exceed 85°F from June through August, and water restrictions often coincide with the driest months. Coastal neighborhoods experience slightly lower temperatures and higher humidity than inland areas; understanding your local microclimate is more important than typical zone-wide generalizations.
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
Three obstacles frequently frustrate home gardeners in Los Angeles. First, summer heat stress on cool-season crops: lettuce, brassicas, and peas bolt or turn bitter when daytime temperatures exceed 80°F consistently, making late-spring plantings unreliable. Second, water restrictions that peak during the growing season when irrigation demand is highest; establishing young crops through a dry period without supplemental water is difficult. Third, spider mite and whitefly populations accelerate in hot, dry conditions and multiply rapidly in the absence of rainfall. Coastal Los Angeles neighborhoods are slightly cooler and more humid, reducing heat and pest stress; inland areas require more aggressive shade and irrigation planning.
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
Plant tomato and pepper transplants in late February or early March to establish mature root systems before peak summer heat; plants set out in May often experience poor fruit set and ripening problems during June and July. Apply shade cloth or use taller companion crops to shade heat-sensitive plants like lettuce starting in May; aim for 30 to 50 percent shade cloth density during June, July, and August. Succession plant cool-season crops in late August and September for a fall and winter harvest; lettuce, broccoli, and peas planted in late August establish quickly as temperatures cool and mature reliably before mid-January frost risk resumes.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I grow tomatoes year-round in Los Angeles?
Spring planting (late February to March) produces the most reliable crop through June, then a second planting in late July or August captures the fall and winter growing period. Peak summer heat (June to August) often prevents fruit set and damages fruit quality even on established plants. Two shorter seasons typically yield more total fruit than attempting continuous production.
- Are figs a good crop for zone 10b Los Angeles?
Yes. Mediterranean and California fig cultivars like Black Mission and Brown Turkey thrive in zone 10b, with winter lows rarely damaging mature trees. The frost-free period allows two crops per year in most years, and figs tolerate drought better than most fruit crops once established.
- What's the biggest weather challenge for Los Angeles gardeners?
Summer heat and water scarcity. Frost risk is minimal, but sustained temperatures above 85°F damage cool-season crops and reduce fruit quality on warm-season plants. Water restrictions during the driest months force difficult choices about plant priorities.
- When should I plant peppers in Los Angeles?
Plant pepper transplants in mid-February to late March to establish strong root systems before June heat arrives. Plants set out in May are often stressed during the driest months and may drop flowers or produce smaller fruit.
- Can I grow lettuce and brassicas in summer?
Not reliably. Lettuce bolts when daytime temperatures exceed 80°F consistently, typically from late May through September. Plant cool-season crops in late August or September instead for fall and winter harvest. Shade cloth in late spring can extend spring crops by a few weeks.
- Which crops handle Los Angeles heat best?
Eggplant, sweet pepper, hot pepper, basil, and rosemary all thrive in zone 10b heat. Figs and sweet potato are excellent long-season options. Tomatoes are reliable if planted early (late February to March) to reach maturity before peak summer stress.
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Frost data: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020, station USW00003122. Local microclimates can shift these dates by a week or more.
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