What’s in Bloom

Summer blooms
Promenade, Rose Garden
June

Blooms you can typically see this month include pansies, daisies, and butterfly bushes.

Spring annuals
Promenade, Rose Garden
May

Our horticulture team plants a variety of annuals that bloom this month. These typically include foxgloves, delphiniums, osteospermums, and snapdragons.

Spring annuals
Promenade, Rose Garden
April

Our horticulture team plants a variety of annuals that bloom this month. These typically include foxgloves, delphiniums, pansies, and primroses.

California natives
California Garden, Throughout the gardens
June

Some of the native plants that typically flower this month are wooly blue curls, blue-eyed grass, and penstemons.

California natives
California Garden, Throughout the gardens
May

Some of the native plants that typically flower this month are prickly pear cactuses, wooly blue curls, blue-eyed grass, and penstemons.

California natives
California Garden, Throughout the gardens
April

Some of the native plants that typically flower this month are mallows, penstemons, yarrows, salvias, and flannel-bushes.

California natives
California Garden, Throughout the gardens
March

Some of the native plants that typically flower this month are pacific coast irises, redbuds, poppies, and sages.

Summer blooms
Promenade, Rose Garden
September

Blooms you can typically see this month include sunflowers, coneflowers, and milkweeds.

Summer blooms
Promenade, Rose Garden
August

Blooms you can typically see this month include sunflowers and butterfly bushes.

Gingko (Ginkgo biloba)
Ancient Forest, Promenade
December, November

Ginkgo trees (Ginkgo biloba) are the oldest surviving tree species on Earth. They have been around for 200 million years and are considered a living fossil. Native to China, some live more than 1,000 years. Our ginkgo along the Promenade is a stunner when its leaves turn a rich gold color.

Fall foliage
Throughout the gardens
December, November

Our trees put on a brilliant show in the fall when their leaves turn color. This month expect to see brightly colored sycamores, birches, cherry trees, crape myrtles, and Chinese pistache trees.

Coneflowers (Echinacea)
Promenade, Center Circle
October

Coneflowers (Echinacea) are brightly colored and easy to grow, making them popular members of the daisy family. Both heat and drought-resistant, they are self-seeders that spread every year to fill flower beds. At Descanso, they are also beloved pollinators for butterflies, bees, and birds.

Ornamental grasses
Promenade, Center Circle
October

Ornamental grasses have become popular in gardens for their drought-tolerance, hardiness, and resistance to disease. They add texture and visual interest to winter gardens, as well as provide a habitat for wildlife.

Sasanqua camellias (Camellia sasanqua)
Camellia Forest, Japanese Garden
November, October

There are more than 3,000 kinds of camellias ranging in color, form, and size. Native to Asia, camellias are hardy and have a long blooming season. The two most common species at Descanso are Camellia sasanqua that bloom in fall/winter and Camellia japonica that bloom in winter/spring.

Fragrant tea olive (Osmanthus fragrans)
Promenade
October

The aromatic tea olive (Osmanthus fragrans) is an evergreen shrub with extremely fragrant flowers. Its fragrance has been described as “subtle vanilla” or a “blend of citrus and gardenia.” Native to Asia, it has adapted well to our warm summers and winter rainfall.

Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum)
Japanese Garden, Courtyard
November, October

A fall favorite, chrysanthemums blossom beautifully in cooler weather. There are countless horticultural varieties and cultivars of this popular flower. In the United States, chrysanthemums are associated with joy and optimism.

Naked lady lilies (Amaryllis belladonna)
Throughout the gardens
August

Naked lady lilies (Amaryllis belladonna) get their name from their unique growth pattern. Their fragrant, trumpet-shaped, pink blooms appear once their green foliage has died back, leaving the stem bare. Native to South Africa, they require little care and are drought-tolerant.

Zinnias (Zinnia)
Promenade
August, September

Colorful and bright zinnias are hardy and easy to grow. These small-but-mighty annuals are native to the Americas and thrive in warm weather. They are also a pollinator favorite attracting monarchs, bees, swallowtails, and hummingbirds.

Black-eyed susans (Rudbeckia)
Promenade
August, September

Black-eyed susans (Rudbeckia) are large, bright yellow wildflowers with striking brown centers. Native to North America, they were used by Native Americans as medicine and sometimes worn as a form of protection. They can be grown as perennials or annuals and are great at attracting butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.

Summer blooms
Promenade, Rose Garden
July

Summer blooms you can typically see this month include sunflowers, black-eyed Susans, and butterfly bushes.

Cycads (Cycadales)
Ancient Forest
July

Cycads (Cycadales) date back to prehistoric times. They are the oldest known seed-bearing plant species and were a common food for triceratops and stegosauruses. Cycads can live up to 2,000 years and are often confused with palms even though they are not related. Our cycad plants start coning in July.

Dahlias (Dahlia)
Rose Garden, Promenade
July

A popular garden flower, dahlias are native to Mexico and Central America and come in a broad range of shapes and colors. There are 49 species and 20,000 varieties of dahlias that can be grown as perennials, tender perennials, or annuals depending on the climate.

Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia)
Rose Garden
August, July, September

The crape myrtle creates a dramatic pop of color in the summer months. Its long-lasting blooms come in several colors including deep purple, red, and white. They can grow up to 100 feet tall, however most are small to medium sized trees or shrubs that provide nectar for bees.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
California Garden, Entrance Garden
July

Yarrow is an excellent low-water groundcover. It’s not only low maintenance, but attracts pollinators too. While we tend to grow yellow yarrow at Descanso, it also comes in red, orange, and pastel colors.

Garden sages (Salvia)
Throughout the gardens
July, June

Native to the Mediterranean area, garden sages (Salvia) are hardy members of the mint family that produce flowers ranging in color from blue to purple. At Descanso, the friendship sage known as salvia ‘Amistad’ starts blooming early in spring and peaks in summer. Its show-stopping purple blooms are also popular with hummingbirds.

California buckeyes (Aesculus californica)
California Garden
May

The California buckeye is one of the showiest flowering trees. It produces white flowers in the spring and round, inedible fruit in the fall. In fact, all parts of the tree are poisonous if ingested. It can be grown as a tree or shrub and drops its leaves in fall.

Matilija poppies (Romneya)
California Garden
May

The native matilija poppy (Romneya), also known as the fried egg flower, has the largest blooms within the poppy family. Semi-evergreen and drought tolerant, the flowers have an apricot-like scent that attracts bees. Once established, plants spread quickly and serve as good erosion control on slopes but can also be invasive.

Roses (Rosa)
Rose Garden
August, July, June, May, October, September

There are more than 100 species and thousands of cultivars of roses (Rosa) that grow as erect, climbing, or trailing shrubs. They are mostly native to Asia with a smaller number native to North America, Europe, and Africa. We have more than 1,600 of these fragrant plants in the Rose Garden.

California lilacs (Ceanothus)
California Garden
April

Sun-loving and low-water, you can find ceanothus blooming in the California Garden and throughout Descanso. It is known as the California lilac (Ceanothus) although it is not a true lilac. Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’ is a magnet for pollinators with its pretty purple hues and sweet fragrance.

Crabapple blossoms (Malus)
Rose Garden, Main Lawn
April

Crabapple trees (Malus) are native to North America and Asia and grow to between 15 to 25 feet tall. They are popular for their striking pink or white blossoms and serve as an excellent source of pollen for bees and other pollinators.

Spring annuals
Promenade, Rose Garden
March

Our horticulture team plants a variety of annuals that bloom this month. These typically include pansies, primroses, and buttercups.

Lilacs (Syringa)
Lilac Garden
April, March

Lilacs (Syringa) are shrubs native to eastern Europe and temperate Asia. They exist at Descanso because of a plantsman named Walter Lammerts who hybridized the plants to grow in our warm climate. In spring, visitors flock to Descanso to enjoy the beauty and breathtaking fragrance of their purple and white blooms.

Azaleas (Rhododendron)
Japanese Garden, Camellia Forest
April, March

Azaleas (Rhododendron) are a type of rhododendron and come in many colors. Their colorful blooms can be found throughout the gardens. There are two basic varieties of azaleas, evergreen and deciduous. The azaleas native to North America are deciduous, meaning they drop leaves in autumn. Most evergreen azaleas originated in Asia.

Wisteria (Wisteria)
Rose Garden
April

The dramatic wisteria plant is native to eastern parts of the United States and Asia. The flowers come in white, pink, purple, or blue colors arranged in long, drooping clusters. Its woody vine twines around nearby trees and structures, and plants live on average 50 years.

California poppies (Eschscholzia californica)
California Garden
April

The California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) can be found in the wild and also grown in the garden as a perennial or an annual, varying in color from yellow to orange. To protect their pollen, poppies will close at night or sometimes during cloudy or windy weather and will reopen the following morning.

Trumpet trees (Tabebuia)
Rose Garden, Entrance
April

Trumpet trees (Tabebuia) are some of the most colorful and showiest trees on Earth. They are members of the Bignonia family which includes another local eye-catching tree, the jacaranda. Its flowers are vivid and trumpet-shaped and at Descanso, we are fortunate to have both golden and pink trumpet trees.

Irises (Irises)
Rose Garden
April, March, May

Irises are immensely popular garden plants. Their name comes from the Greek word for rainbow because they exist in many colors. There are about 300 species that generally fall into two groups: Bearded and beardless. Bearded irises have a fuzzy beard on the fall (the bloom part that hangs down).

Tulips (Tulipa)
Promenade
March

Wild tulips (Tulipa) grow naturally in Central Asia and were first cultivated in Istanbul around 1055. Tulips came to the West in the 16th century and became wildly popular in the Netherlands, causing an economic bubble known as “Tulip Mania.” Each January Descanso plants 30,000 tulip bulbs that bloom in spring.

Cherry blossoms (Prunus)
Japanese Garden, Promenade
March

Cherry blossoms (Prunus) are widely celebrated as an annual sign of spring and have rich symbolism in Japanese culture. The delicate blooms are spectacular but brief, usually appearing in late March–early April. There are dozens of festivals dedicated to cherry blossoms and at Descanso, they are a huge fan favorite.

California natives
California Garden, Throughout the gardens
February

Native plants that typically flower this month are barberries, manzanitas, gooseberries, and currants.

Peach blossoms (Prunus persica)
Rose Garden
February

Peach trees (Prunus persica) are native to China and are believed to have existed some 2,500 years ago or more. Their delicate blooms range in color from pale pink to hot pink and our peach trees in the Rose Garden put on a spectacular show when in bloom.

Paperwhites (Narcissus papyraceus)
Rose Garden
December, January

Native to the Mediterranean, paperwhites (Narcissus papyraceus) are winter-blooming flower bulbs that produce small white, yellow, or orange flowers. They are the most fragrant member of the daffodil family and are considered perennials only in Southern California and parts of Texas, otherwise, they are mostly grown as annuals.

Japanese camellias (Camellia japonica)
Camellia Forest, Japanese Garden
December, February, January, March

There are more than 3,000 kinds of camellias ranging in color, form, and size. Native to Asia, camellias are hardy and have a long blooming season. The two most common species at Descanso are Camellia sasanqua that bloom in fall/winter and Camellia japonica that bloom in winter/spring.

Daffodils (Narcissus)
Throughout the gardens
February, March

Blooming daffodils (Narcissus) are an early and cheerful sign of spring and symbolize hope and new beginnings. One of the easiest flowers to grow, daffodils are perennial bulbs and grow back every year with additional blooms. A field of daffodils can bloom for up to 50 years.

Magnolias (Magnolia)
Throughout the gardens
February, March

Magnolias are believed to be one of the earliest flowering plants on Earth and can live 80 to 120 years. Their fossils date back over 100 million years—before bees existed—so they rely on beetles for pollination. Instead of producing nectar, they produce pollen which beetles use for food.

Toyon berries (Heteromeles arbutifolia)
Throughout the Gardens
December, November

Native to California, the toyon shrub (Heteromeles arbutifolia) and its berries are sometimes referred to as Christmas berries or California holly. Indigenous Californians used its berries for food and medicine. It is also important as a habitat plant for wildlife, and pollinators love its small white flowers in the summer.

Bird-of-paradise flowers (Strelitzia reginae)
Fern Canyon
January

The colorful bird-of-paradise (Strelitzia reginae) gets its name from its shape which resembles a tropical bird in flight. It is also sometimes called the crane flower because of its shape. Native to South Africa, its stalks are about 3–5 feet tall but can grow up to 30 feet in height.