Plants that thrive in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles is a Mediterranean climate, which means the plants adapted to it go dormant in summer and grow in winter. California natives and comparable Mediterranean species such as toyon, Cleveland sage, ceanothus, manzanita, deer grass, California fuchsia, and lemonade berry are the dependable core. The single most common way an LA landscape fails is summer irrigation on established natives, which invites root rot in soil the plants expect to be dry from June through October.
Los Angeles growing conditions at a glance
- USDA hardiness zone
- 10b
- Region
- coastal and inland Southern California
- Rainfall
- roughly 14 inches a year, essentially all of it between November and March
- Soil
- variable, from coastal sandy loam to heavy inland clay, usually alkaline and low in organic matter
- Hardest condition to design around
- a Mediterranean rainfall pattern that runs backwards from the rest of the country. Rain comes in winter and the entire summer is dry, so summer irrigation kills many of the plants best suited to the region
Shrubs and small trees
The evergreen backbone of a Southern California garden, all of it able to go through summer without irrigation once established.
Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Very low once established
- Mature size
- 8 to 15 ft, can reach 25 ft
Caveat: California holly, with white summer flowers and red winter berries. It is fast enough to be useful and it will get large, so do not plant it 3 ft from a wall and expect to keep it small by shearing.
Ray Hartman Ceanothus
Ceanothus 'Ray Hartman'
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Very low once established
- Mature size
- 12 to 20 ft tall and wide
Caveat: The most forgiving large ceanothus for garden conditions, and ceanothus in general is short lived, often 10 to 15 years. Any summer water on an established plant dramatically shortens that, so plan for eventual replacement and keep irrigation away from the crown.
Howard McMinn Manzanita
Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Howard McMinn'
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Very low once established
- Mature size
- 5 to 7 ft tall and wide
Caveat: The manzanita cultivar most tolerant of garden soil and occasional summer water, which is why it is the one to start with. It still needs excellent drainage; in heavy inland clay plant it on a mound.
Lemonade Berry
Rhus integrifolia
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Very low
- Mature size
- 6 to 10 ft, wider with age
Caveat: Excellent for coastal exposure, salt wind, and slope stabilization. Inland it wants some afternoon shade, and it is too large for a narrow bed.
Sages and flowering perennials
Where the scent and the pollinators come from, and the layer that most rewards not watering in summer.
Cleveland Sage
Salvia clevelandii
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Very low
- Mature size
- 3 to 5 ft tall and wide
Caveat: Intensely fragrant and a bee magnet, and it is famously intolerant of summer water and poor drainage. It also gets woody and open after 5 to 8 years, so prune lightly after flowering and expect to replace it eventually.
California Fuchsia
Epilobium canum
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Very low
- Mature size
- 1 to 2 ft tall, spreading
Caveat: Blooms scarlet in late summer and fall when almost nothing else does, and it spreads by underground runners. It also looks genuinely dead in winter, so cut it to the ground in late winter rather than pulling it out.
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Low
- Mature size
- 1 to 2 ft, taller in bloom
Caveat: Can be mowed as a low-water lawn alternative or left to flower, and it spreads by rhizome. It goes semi-dormant and brown in a dry LA summer without any water, which is normal rather than a failure.
Grasses and groundcovers
The softening layer, chosen specifically to avoid California's invasive ornamental grasses.
Deer Grass
Muhlenbergia rigens
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Low
- Mature size
- 3 to 4 ft tall and wide
Caveat: The correct native substitute for invasive fountain grass and pampas grass. Cut it back to 6 inches every two to three years or it dies out in the center.
Coyote Brush 'Pigeon Point'
Baccharis pilularis 'Pigeon Point'
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Very low
- Mature size
- 1 to 2 ft tall, 6 to 8 ft wide
Caveat: One of the best large-scale native groundcovers for slopes, and it needs an annual shearing or it mounds up and goes woody. It is also considered fire resistant only if it is kept green and pruned, not if it accumulates dead material.
Foothill Sedge
Carex tumulicola
- Sun
- Part shade to full sun
- Water
- Low to moderate
- Mature size
- 12 to 18 in
Caveat: A good meadow or under-tree filler that takes light foot traffic. It looks tired by late summer without occasional water, so it is the one plant on this list worth putting on a low-frequency drip line.
What should you not plant in Los Angeles?
Skip pampas grass, fountain grass, and Mexican feathergrass, all invasive in California and all fire carriers. Skip broom (Genista, Spartium) and giant reed. Also avoid planting anything flammable and resinous inside the first 5 ft of the structure if the property is in a fire hazard zone, including juniper.
What are the watering rules in Los Angeles?
Most LA-area water agencies limit outdoor watering to set days and hours and pay turf-replacement rebates through the Metropolitan Water District's SoCal Water Smart program. Properties in a very high fire hazard severity zone must also meet defensible space requirements, which govern plant spacing and what can go within 5 ft of the house.
Water rules and rebate programs change. Confirm the current stage and schedule with your local water provider before relying on it.
Questions
What plants grow well in Los Angeles without much water?
California natives and Mediterranean-climate plants: toyon, Ray Hartman ceanothus, Howard McMinn manzanita, lemonade berry, Cleveland sage, California fuchsia, deer grass, coyote brush, and yarrow. All of them survive a rainless Los Angeles summer once established, and most are actively harmed by summer irrigation.
Why do California native plants die in summer when I water them?
Because they evolved with dry summers. Warm soil plus moisture creates ideal conditions for Phytophthora root rot, so watering an established native in July can kill it in a way that drought would not. The practical rule is to water new natives through their first year or two, taper off, and then keep summer irrigation, including lawn overspray, away from the crown entirely.
What plants are safest near a house in a fire hazard zone in LA?
Defensible space rules generally call for the first 5 ft around the structure to be non-combustible, using gravel, pavers, or hardscape rather than plants. Beyond that, use low, well-spaced, well-irrigated or succulent plantings and avoid resinous shrubs such as juniper, along with invasive grasses like pampas and fountain grass that carry fire. Confirm current requirements with your local fire authority, since the rules have been tightening.
Does Los Angeles pay you to remove your lawn?
The Metropolitan Water District's SoCal Water Smart program pays a per-square-foot rebate for turf replacement, and many local agencies add to it. Rates, caps, and pre-approval requirements change, so apply and get approval before removing anything rather than after.
Want a plant list matched to your specific yard rather than Los Angeles in general? See how Dream Landscaper designs against your actual conditions, or skip ahead and get your free concept.
Other city plant guides
10 plants covered. Mature sizes and water needs are typical ranges for the Los Angeles, California area and vary with microclimate, soil depth, and care. Nothing here is a substitute for a soil test or local extension advice.