When to plant in Los Angeles, CA
USDA Zone 10bHere are the average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and a month-by-month planting calendar for Los Angeles, California — all computed from Los Angeles's nearest NOAA weather station.
A generous ~358-day season lets Los Angeles gardeners direct-sow more and still ripen long-maturity crops like melons and winter squash. These dates come from a station roughly 19 km away, the closest with full normals; terrain around Los Angeles (elevation, water, pavement) can move your real frost dates a few days either way. In zone 10b, frost is a minor factor for Los Angeles — most perennials thrive, and annual vegetables can go out early and stay late.
Frost probability
BURBANK VALLEY PUMP PLT · 1991–2020The date the last spring and first fall frost occur, by threshold and probability. A 90% date is later in spring — and earlier in fall — than a 10% date; the 50% · 32°F row is what most gardeners plan around. These are Los Angeles’s own odds, recorded at BURBANK VALLEY PUMP PLT.
| Threshold | SPRING 10% | SPRING 50% | SPRING 90% | FALL 10% | FALL 50% | FALL 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 10 | Feb 5 | Dec 31 | Nov 23 | Dec 12 | Jan 3 |
| 32°F | Jan 31 | Jan 2 | Dec 11 | Dec 5 | Dec 26 | Jan 18 |
Download this table as CSV ↓ — every threshold and probability, plus this city’s planting-window dates.
What to plant now
TODAY · JULY 19Nothing new to sow or transplant outdoors in the next few weeks — a seasonal lull. Check the full-year calendar below for the next window.
Full-year planting calendar
Each bar is the exact window to take a planting action in Los Angeles, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.
Nearby weather stations
3 within 22 km · complete 32°F normalsWhen stations disagree by more than a few days, that spread is real microclimate variation — elevation, water, urban heat. Judge which station best matches your own yard.
Los Angeles planting FAQ
When is the last spring frost in Los Angeles, CA?
Los Angeles's average last spring frost falls near January 2 — the 50% mark at 32°F in the 1991–2020 normals. Hold tender transplants until the risk has passed, then plant out.
When is the first fall frost in Los Angeles, CA?
In Los Angeles, the first 32°F freeze of fall lands around December 26 on average. Time your last harvests and any season-extension cover before it.
What hardiness zone is Los Angeles in?
Los Angeles is in USDA hardiness zone 10b. In zone 10b, winters are mild — many tender perennials overwinter here.
How long is the growing season in Los Angeles?
Los Angeles has about 358 frost-free days — a long growing season — between the average last spring frost (January 2) and first fall frost (December 26).
When should I plant tomatoes in Los Angeles?
For Los Angeles, sow tomatoes indoors about November 7–November 21 and move the seedlings out around January 9, after the last spring frost.
Never miss a window in Los Angeles
An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to Los Angeles’s frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.
Nearby cities
8 within reach- Culver City · 2 km
- View Park-Windsor Hills · 6 km
- Beverly Hills · 7 km
- Santa Monica · 8 km
- West Hollywood · 8 km
- Inglewood · 9 km
- Lennox · 10 km
- Del Aire · 12 km
Frost dates recorded at BURBANK VALLEY PUMP PLT, 19 km from the city center · 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals · zone from the USDA/PRISM 2023 map. How we compute this.
BlissGarden. "When to Plant in Los Angeles, CA — Frost Dates & Zone 10b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00041194. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/california/los-angeles.