Los Angeles, CA Frost Dates
Average frost dates, USDA hardiness zone, and growing season length for Los Angeles, California.
Gardening in Los Angeles
LA gardeners live in one of the most productive food-growing climates on earth and half of them don't realize it. With year-round sun, minimal frost, and enough microclimates to confuse a meteorologist, Los Angeles can grow virtually anything. Your avocado tree doesn't know it's in a city of 4 million people.
The famous June Gloom actually benefits cool-season crops — coastal neighborhoods can grow lettuce through summer while the Valley roasts. Drive 30 minutes inland and you've changed zones twice. Water is always the conversation in LA gardening — drought-tolerant landscaping isn't a trend here, it's survival.
Dodger Blue runs deep, but so do the roots of LA's incredible food garden culture. The city's Latino, Asian, and Armenian communities have been growing chiles, bitter melon, and herbs in their yards for generations. Every neighborhood has its own growing secrets.
What This Means for Los Angeles Gardeners
The average last spring frost in Los Angeles is around January 15, and the average first fall frost arrives around December 20. That gives you approximately 339 frost-free days to work with.
Los Angeles's growing season is essentially year-round. Frost is a rare event, not a seasonal boundary. Traditional cool-season crops grow through your mild winter, while tropical and subtropical plants thrive permanently outdoors. Your challenge isn't length of season — it's managing summer heat and humidity. Plant warm-season vegetables from September through February and shift to heat-tolerant crops for the summer months.
These dates are based on NOAA 30-year Climate Normal data for the Los Angeles area. Your actual frost dates could shift 2-3 weeks in either direction in any given year. Learn more about our data sources.
What to Grow in Los Angeles
With 339 frost-free days, Los Angeles can grow nearly anything — including tropical and subtropical plants that most of the country can only dream about. Your prime vegetable season runs from fall through spring; summer is for heat-lovers like okra, sweet potatoes, and peppers. Recommended starting points: cherry tomatoes, jalapeños, okra, sweet potatoes, basil, collard greens, tomatillos, and lemongrass.
See the full California planting guide for all 40 plants: California Planting Calendar. Or enter your zip code for exact planting dates personalized to Los Angeles.
More About Zone 10B
Los Angeles is in USDA Hardiness Zone 10B, which means average annual extreme minimum temperatures between 35°F to 40°F. View the full Zone 10B planting guide.
See the complete planting calendar for California: California Planting Calendar.
Other Cities in California
Frequently Asked Questions
These dates are based on NOAA's 30-year Climate Normal data for the Los Angeles area. They represent historical averages, not predictions. In any given year, the actual last frost could be 2-3 weeks earlier or later. Microclimates within Los Angeles (urban heat islands, hilltops, low-lying valleys) can also shift your local frost dates by a week or more.
You can plant cool-season crops (lettuce, kale, broccoli) from December 20 through January 15 — your cool season is your primary vegetable season. Warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers go out in early spring. Tropical plants grow year-round. Enter your zip code for exact dates for every plant.