If you look around my blog, you may think that my life revolves around flowers and gardens… and you would not be wrong! 😊🌸🌼 I’ve spent the past several years traveling throughout California in search of beautiful flowers and gardens and now, I’ve compiled a flower bloom calendar for California! The calendar includes details on when flowers are in season and includes flowers such as: cherry blossoms, peach blossoms, poppy fields, wildflowers, ranunculus, roses, dahlias, magnolias, lupines and much more! I’ve included links to more detailed posts below, and also a sample of the photos that you’ll find in my blog posts. Whether you’re looking for beautiful flowers in the Bay Area, Northern California or Southern California, I’ve got you covered!
All photos were taken by me and my husband Ken. If you’re interested in flower photography, you may be interested in my post on the Best Lenses for Flower Photography. Or take a look at my photo gear!
p.s. I have a YouTube channel featuring beautiful garden tours! Please give me a follow there if you love gardens, nature & flowers too! 🌸
* This blog post may include affiliate links for which I may receive a small compensation. Learn more about my affiliate & cookies policy here. Thank you for supporting this flowery blog! 💛🌸🌿
When Are Flowers in Season and Bloom in California?
Do you want to know when cherry blossoms, poppies, wildflowers, roses, magnolias or other flowers bloom in California and when the best season or months to see them are? Here’s a summary that covers both Northern California and Southern California. Please note that since Southern California tends to be warmer than Northern California, there will be some variations in bloom time.
🌸 California Flower Bloom Summary 🌸
| flower | bloom period |
| Mustard Fields | January to March |
| Magnolias | February to April |
| Almond Blossoms | Mid-February to Early March |
| Cherry Blossoms | February to April/May |
| Plum Blossoms | Mid-February to March |
| Calla Lily Valley | Mid-February to mid-March typically |
| Peach Blossoms | Late-February to March |
| Tulips | March to April |
| Lupines | March to April |
| Ranunculus | March to mid-May |
| Poppy Fields | March to May |
| Irises | March to May |
| Wisteria | April |
| Roses | April to October |
| Purple Ice Plants | April to May/June |
| Lavender | June to August |
| Sunflowers | June to July |
| Hydrangeas | July to October |
| Dahlias | July to September |
| Fall Colors | August to November |
| Camellias | November to May/June |
Where to See the Beautiful Flowers in California
| Flower | Where to Find Them | Notes / Links |
|---|---|---|
| JANUARY 🌸 | ||
| Camellias | Northern California: SF Botanical Garden, Filoli in Woodside Southern California: Descanso Gardens Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge, Huntington Botanical Gardens in Pasadena | |
| Mustard Fields | Northern California: Napa & Sonoma Valley (Wine Country), Point Reyes, Half Moon Bay, Moss Beach (Pillar Point Bluff) Southern California: Chino Hills State Park, Malibu Creek State Park | Blooms typically start in January/February in Northern California and starts in March to May in Southern California |
| FEBRUARY 🌼 | ||
| Mustard Fields | (see above) | |
| Magnolias | Northern California: SF Botanical Garden, Filoli in Woodside Southern California: Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge | Blog post – Where to See Magnolias in the Bay Area |
| Camellias | (see above) | |
| Almond Blossoms | Almond orchards in Dixon, Fresno Blossom Trail, Bakersfield, Modesto, Woodland, Manteca | Typically blooms mid-February for just a few weeks |
| Plum Blossoms | Fresno Blossom Trail, San Ramon | |
| Cherry Blossoms (early) | East Bay cities | Cherry Blossoms bloom at different times (based on location) from February to May – see blog post for details. Blog post – Where to Find Cherry Blossoms in the Bay Area |
| Calla Lily Field | Big Sur, Land’s End in San Francisco | Blog Post – Big Sur’s Calla Lily Field |
| Tulips | Northern California: Filoli in Woodside, Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden in Golden Gate Park (by the Dutch Windmill) Southern California: Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge | Blog Post – Spring Flowers at Descanco Gardens |
| MARCH 🌷 | ||
| Almond Blossoms | (see above) | Typically blooms mid-February for just a few weeks. |
| Peach Blossoms | Fresno Blossom Trail, Brentwood | Blog post – Where to Find Peach Blossoms |
| Plum Blossoms | (see above) | |
| Cherry Blossoms | Northern California: Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco, Filoli in Woodside, Hakone Gardens in Saratoga, Japanese Friendship Garden in San Jose, Golden Gate Park, Hayward Japanese Gardens Southern California: Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge, The Huntington Library Gardens, Balboa Park in San Diego, Japanese Friendship Garden and Museum in San Diego | Cherry Blossoms bloom at different times (based on location) from February to May – see blog post for details. Blog post – Where to Find Cherry Blossoms in the Bay Area Blog post – The Most Beautiful Garden in California Blog post – Cherry Blossoms at the Japanese Tea Garden |
| Lupines (yellow) | Tassajara Ridge Trail in San Ramon | Rare – may start end of March or beginning of April Blog post – Where to Find Lupine Fields in Northern California |
| Calla Lily Field | Big Sur | Blog Post – Big Sur Calla Lily Field |
| Ranunculus | The Flower Fields in Carlsbad | Blog Post – The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch |
| Tulips | Filoli, Descanso Gardens, Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden in Golden Gate Park, Ferrari-Carano Winery in Healdsburg, Gamble Garden in Palo Alto, Oakland California Temple in Oakland | Blog post – The Most Beautiful Garden in California Blog Post – Spring Flowers at Descanco Gardens |
| Daffodils | Filoli in Woodside | Blog post – The Most Beautiful Garden in California |
| Camellias | (see above) | |
| Irises | Filoli in Woodside, Nola’s Iris Garden in San Jose, Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge | |
| California Lilas (ceanothus) fields (purple) | Northern San Diego County: South Lake Park in San Marcos, Nighthawk Trail near Poway | |
| Poppies (& other wildflowers) | (see below) | |
| APRIL 🌸 | ||
| Lupines (yellow) | Tassajara Ridge Trail in San Ramon | Rare – may start end of March or beginning of April. Have not been spotted since 2022. Blog post – Where to Find Lupine Fields in Northern California |
| Lupines (purple) | Folsom Lake, Anderson Lake, Lake Tahoe | Large fields only occur during Superbloom years. Blog post – Where to Find Lupine Fields |
| Poppies & other wildflowers | Southern California: Antelope Valley, Lake Elsinore/Walker Canyon, Diamond Valley Lake, Carrizo Plain National Monument, Anza Borrego State Park Northern California: Mt Diablo State Park, East Bay Hills, North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve in Oroville, Coyote Hills Regional Park, SF Botanical Garden, Almaden Quicksilver County Park in San Jose | Blog posts: Spectacular Poppy Fields at Mt Diablo State Park Superbloom Poppy Fields at Antelope Valley Wildflowers Superbloom at Carrizo Plain Spring Wildflowers at Coyote Hills Regional Park |
| Cherry Blossoms | Filoli in Woodside, Palace of Fine Arts, Golden Gate Park’s Lindley Meadow, the Presidio in S.F. | Cherry Blossoms bloom at different times (based on location) from February to May – see blog post for details. Blog post – Where to Find Cherry Blossoms in the Bay Area Blog post – The Most Beautiful Garden in California |
| Ranunculus | The Flower Fields in Carlsbad (Southern California) | Blog Post – The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch |
| Wisteria | Northern California: Gamble Garden in Palo Alto, Filoli, Mission Gardens at Santa Clara University Southern California: Civita Park in San Diego, Museum of Contemporary Art and La Jolla Methodist Church in La Jolla, Mission Hills | |
| Roses | Northern California: McKinley Rose Garden in Sacramento, Filoli, The Gardens at Heather Farm in Walnut Creek (Cowden Rose Garden), San Jose Municipal Rose Garden, Golden Gate Park Rose Garden, Morcom Rose Garden in Oakland, UC Botanical Garden, Berkeley Rose Garden, Cline Cellars Winery in Sonoma Southern California: Huntington Botanical Gardens in Pasadena, Exposition Park Rose Garden in L.A., Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden (in Balboa Park) in San Diego | Starts early April, lasts through September/October Blog Post – The Most Beautiful Rose Garden in the Bay Area Blog Post – The Most Beautiful Rose Garden in Northern California |
| Purple Ice Plants | Pacific Grove, Pacifica, Montara State Beach, other areas along California coast Highway 1 | Starts in April, can last to June Blog Post – The “Magic Carpet” of Purple Flowers in Monterey County |
| Jacaranda (purple blossoms) | Los Angeles and San Diego | Late April to early June |
| Irises | (see above) | |
| Wisteria | Northern California: San Francisco residential neighborhoods Southern California: Huntington Library | |
| Camellias | (see above) | |
| MAY 🌹 | ||
| Poppies (& other wildflowers) | (see above) | |
| Roses | (see above) | |
| Purple Ice Plants | (see above) | |
| Ranunculus | (see above) | |
| Jacaranda (purple blossoms) | (see above) | |
| Irises | (see above) | |
| Camellias | (see above) | |
| JUNE 💐 | ||
| Lavender | Northern California: North Bay Wineries (such as Monte Bellaria di California in Sebastopol and Matanzas Creek Winery in Santa Rosa), Araceli Farms in Dixon, Lavender Bee Farm in Petaluma, Pageo Lavender Farm in Turlock Southern California: The Lavender Garden in Lost Hills | Peak bloom is in June, but blooms may last to September/October. Blog Post – How to Harvest and Dry Lavender |
| Roses | (see above) | |
| Sunflowers | Northern California: Davis, Dixon, Woodland and Winters in Yolo county, Napa Valley Southern California: Hana Field by Tanaka Farms in Costa Mesa | Typically mid-June to mid-July |
| Hydrangeas | Golden Gate Park | |
| Dahlias | Golden Gate Park’s Dahlia Garden next to the Conservatory of Flowers, Filoli, The Gardens at Lake Merritt in Oakland, EarthSpoke Farms in Mendocino | |
| Jacaranda (purple blossoms) | (see above) | |
| JULY 🌻 | ||
| Sunflowers | (see above) | |
| Lavender | (see above) | |
| Hydrangeas | Golden Gate Park, Filoli in Woodside | July to November at Filoli |
| Dahlias | (see above) | |
| Roses | (see April) | |
| AUGUST 🪷 | ||
| Roses | (see April) | |
| Dahlias | (see above) | |
| Lavender | (see above) | |
| SEPTEMBER 🥀 | ||
| Roses | (see April) | |
| Dahlias | (see above) | |
| Fall Colors | Yosemite, Napa & Sonoma Valley, Apple Hill, Bishop area, June Lake, Hope Valley, Lake Tahoe, Grass Valley | Blog post – Fall Colors at Yosemite |
| OCTOBER 🍂 | ||
| Fall Colors | (see above) | Blog post – Fall Colors at Yosemite |
| NOVEMBER 🍁 | ||
| Fall Colors | (see above) | Blog post – Fall Colors at Yosemite |
| Camellias | SF Botanical Garden, Filoli in Woodside, Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge | |
| DECEMBER 🌧️ | ||
| Camellias | (see above) |
Photos of Beautiful Flowers in California
These are some sample photos from my travels that are found throughout my blog. I’m always looking for more beautiful places to visit, so stay tuned for more!
Did I Miss Anything?
I’ve put together this calendar based on my personal experience and from what I’ve seen and heard from friends and on social media. If you know of any hidden gems or anything else that I may have missed, please do let me know and I’ll update this calendar so that we can all benefit and enjoy more beautiful flowers!! 😊🌸❤️
My YouTube Channel!
I’ve started a YouTube channel! If you love nature, flowers and gardens as much as I do, make sure to give me a follow there! 😊🌸🌿
Step Inside the Most Beautiful Spring Garden!
Featuring the best of Spring Flowers at Filoli over the past 2 years! Tulips, cherry blossoms, daffodils and much more!🌸
Thank You!
Thank you for stopping by my blog! I hope you found this post useful, and I hope you have a wonderful day!
Pansy ❤️
Hi, I’m Pansy!
Hello, thanks for stopping by! I’m Pansy, California-based travel blogger, photographer and lover of ALL the pretty flowers! You may notice that most of my travels, photography & DIY center around flowers and nature! 🌸🌼🌿
I recently started a YouTube channel where I feature beautiful gardens, parks & flower fields! Make sure to follow me there if you love flowers & gardens! 😊
If you’d like to contact me, please send me an email or DM me on Instagram!
Pansy ❤️
Thank you for creating this! This is truly amazing and just what I was looking for
You’re so welcome!! I’m glad it was helpful and it’s so nice to hear from a fellow flower lover! 😊🌸🌼
Hi there,
Love your website. Thanks for sharing!
My group of friends and I love flowers. We live close to San Francisco. We would appreciate if you would recommend a place to go, take a flower pix and walk around to enjoy the flowers.
Thanks & Regards,
Vivian
Hi Vivian, for mid-April, I highly recommend Filoli Historic Estate & Garden in Woodside, which has so many beautiful Spring flowers in bloom! Check out my blog post https://mustloveroses.com/beautiful-garden-california where I include photos from last April. It’s a private garden, so you do have to pay an admissions fee, but it’s well worth it! In SF, have you visited the Japanese Tea Garden? The cherry blossoms are at peak bloom right now! Wisteria is also in bloom all over the Bay Area, including at Gamble Garden in Palo Alto and Mission Gardens in Santa Clara University. Poppies and wildflowers are also in bloom… Roses are just now starting to bloom – in a couple of weeks, the local rose gardens should be beautiful! (see my list of rose gardens above!)
I hope this helps! Let me know where you end up going!
Pansy 🙂
Wow thank you for your flower Guide 🌸💕. I creating a vision of things I like and the places I should visit. Lol between visiting national parks throughout California and the various location of the botanical garden. I a lot to seee
oh how wonderful, national parks and gardens are always at the top of my travel wish list too!! 😊🌸❤️