Thanks to the exceptionally warm spring weather, LA is experiencing a vibrant tapestry of wildflowers in the hills and mountains, many not far from Circa. And our local botanical gardens are bursting with a riot of seasonal color, including an early bloom in The Huntington’s Rose Garden and a Bloom Boom at Descanso Gardens. If you’re on the hunt for wildflowers, we’ve found useful apps, such as PictureThis and iNaturalist, to help you identify plants, record your observations, and connect to the natural world.
Theodore Payne Foundation 10459 Tuxford St. Los Angeles, CA 91352
To learn more about California’s abundant flora, visit the Theodore Payne Foundation (TPF), a nonprofit organization that inspires and educates Southern Californians about the beauty and ecological benefits of California native plants. Located on 22 acres of beautiful canyon land in the San Fernando Valley, the TPF includes a full-service nursery, alongside display gardens, wild land hiking trails, an art gallery, and educational facilities. They even have a Wildflower Hotline posted each Friday from March through May on the best locations for viewing spring wildflowers in Southern and Central California.
PictureThis Plant Identifier App
Have you ever encountered a beautiful unknown flower, plant or tree during your walk and wondered what it was? Or do you need advice on how to care for your plants? Simply take a photo of the plant and PictureThis answers all the questions for you. To date, PictureThis has identified more than one billion plants and diagnosed millions of plant issues—and these numbers continue to grow each day, helping more users worldwide connect with nature.
Do you want to contribute to science? The iNaturalist app allows you to connect with nature and record your observations of the natural world, such as birds, plants, forests, butterflies, marine life, and wild bees. You can share your observations with fellow naturalists, discuss your findings, and create your own projects. Every observation can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed. iNaturalist shares your findings with scientific data repositories like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to help scientists find and use your data. All you have to do is observe.
The Huntington 1151 Oxford Rd. San Marino, CA 91108
The Huntington Rose Garden is blooming early this year! This garden—enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of visitors each year—was created in 1908 for the private enjoyment of Henry E. and Arabella Huntington. The three-acre garden has gone through many transformations since that time. It now comprises more than 2,500 individual plants and more than 1,300 cultivated varieties (cultivars). To find out what else is blooming at The Huntington, check out their Bloom Guide.
Descanso Gardens 1418 Descanso Dr. La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
Descanso Gardens is a botanical garden, living museum, and urban oasis just 20 minutes from downtown Los Angeles. Situated on 150 acres of cultivated and wild land, Descanso Gardens is nestled into a natural bowl by surrounding mountains. Visitors can explore the many paths and trails, verdant woodlands, lush gardens, and colorful native flowers. Don’t miss the gorgeous flowering trees, which are an April bloom highlight. To discover the beauty of Descanso, check out their Bloom Calendar.
Blue Ribbon Garden Walt Disney Concert Hall 111 S Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90012
The Blue Ribbon Garden is a hidden rooftop garden at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Nearly an acre in size, the garden is enclosed by the hall’s flowing exterior and filled with lush landscaping that blooms throughout the year. What started as a personal connection between just two people, Frank Gehry and Lillian Disney, has become a shared public art experience for concertgoers and Los Angeles tourists alike. One of the garden’s highlights is the Frank Gehry-designed fountain, a tribute to the late Lillian Disney and her love for Royal Delft porcelain vases and roses.
Arlington Garden 275 Arlington Dr. Pasadena, CA 91105
A hidden gem in the heart of Pasadena, Arlington Garden is the city’s only dedicated free public garden. This three-acre community-built Mediterranean garden includes thousands of California-native plants such as poppies, sunflowers, cactus and succulents, and orchards of orange and olive trees. Arlington Garden is not only friendly to people and pets, but also serves as a refuge for Pasadena’s native fauna. Birds, bees and butterflies are particularly abundant and can be seen throughout the year.
Virginia Robinson Gardens 1008 Elden Way, Beverly Hills , CA 90210
The Virginia Robinson Gardens is a unique historic estate, a cultural jewel that transports the visitor back to the birthplace of Beverly Hills. Built in 1911, it was once the residence of retail giants Virginia and Harry Robinson of the J.W. Robinson Co. Department Store. It occupies an illustrious place in history as the first luxury estate built in Beverly Hills. Today, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open to the public by appointment. The beautiful six-acre property is located behind the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel and has a breathtaking display garden, mansion, and pool pavilion.
Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden 270 Arlington Dr. Pasadena, CA 91105
Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden was created by Kinzuchi Fujii for Charles and Ellamae Storrier Stearns in 1935. Fujii designed and built Japanese landscapes across Southern California in the first half of the 20th century. Storrier Stearns is his only remaining garden and the only intact example of a major Japanese-style garden created before World War II for a residence in Southern California. This pond-style stroll garden features a fifteen-foot waterfall and a formal teahouse on approximately two acres of land. The garden is considered by many to be a masterwork and it demonstrates the adaptability of Japanese culture in modern America.
Nature Gardens Natural History Museum 900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007
If you’re visiting Exposition Park, be sure to explore the Nature Gardens, an urban wildlife wonderland at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Over 600 kinds of plants, including California natives and others from around the world, make a home for birds, butterflies, lizards, squirrels, and more. One of the most popular spots is the Pollinator Meadow (pictured above). Flowers are blooming, seeds are ripening, and wildlife is paying attention!
Los Angeles County Arboretum 301 N Baldwin Ave. Arcadia, CA 91007
The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden is a unique 127-acre botanical garden and historical site located in what was the heart of the historic Rancho Santa Anita in the city of Arcadia. A stroll through the Arboretum will take you through a variety of gardens and landscapes that offer beauty and tranquility as well as ideas for your own outdoor spaces. The Arboretum is also home to historic structures including the Queen Anne Cottage, Coach Barn, and Reid-Baldwin Adobe.
Photo credits:
Photo #1: Descanso Gardens
Photo #2: Theodore Payne Foundation
Photo #3: PictureThis App
Photo #4: iNaturalist App
Photo #5: The Huntington
Photo #6: Descanso Gardens
Photo #7: LA Phil
Photo #8: Arlington Garden
Photo #9: Virginia Robinson Gardens
Photo #10: Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden
Photo #11: Natural History Museum
Photo #12: LA Arboretum
