What to Plant in Fall in Southern California

Written by Kelsey W.

Fall in Southern California does not always look like autumn in a postcard, the lingering heat waves see to that, but it is quietly the best gardening season we get. The air finally cools, the soil is still warm, and the winter rains are on the way, which is exactly the combination new plants want. So instead of waiting for spring, this is the moment to get planting. Here is what to plant in fall in Southern California, from the best cool-season flowers to spring bulbs and vegetables, with a month-by-month guide.

Quick answer: In Southern California, fall is one of the best times to plant, because the air has cooled while the soil stays warm and the winter rains are coming. Plant cool-season flowers now, pansies, violas, snapdragons, calendula, stock, Iceland poppies, sweet alyssum, and garden mums, for color through fall, winter, and spring. Fall is also the time to set out spring-blooming bulbs and to plant cool-season vegetables. Get it done in September and October while the soil is still warm, so roots establish before the short, cool days of winter.

Why Fall Is the Best Time to Plant in Southern California

It feels counterintuitive after a hot summer, but fall planting gives roots a long head start. The still-warm soil encourages roots to grow, and they keep growing through our mild winter, so by the time summer heat and drought return, the plant has a well-established root system to draw on (UC Master Gardeners). Because true freezes are rare across most of Southern California, cool-season flowers, many perennials and shrubs, bulbs, and cool-season vegetables can all go in the ground now and settle in with far less stress than a spring or summer planting.

The Best Fall Flowers for Southern California

For a bed full of color that carries from fall through winter and into spring, the workhorses are the cool-season annuals. Hardy annuals such as pansy, viola, calendula, stock, sweet alyssum, and dianthus are planted in fall (or early spring) and bloom in cool weather (NC State Extension), and pansies and violas in particular are the standout annual flowers for cool-season color, alongside snapdragons and ornamental cabbage and kale (Clemson Cooperative Extension). The table below sums up the best fall bloomers.

Flower	Type	When to plant	Light	Notes
Pansy and viola	Cool-season annual	Fall	Sun to part shade	Bloom fall through spring; nearly year-round in mild areas
Snapdragon	Cool-season annual	Fall	Full sun	Upright spikes; bloom in fall and again in spring
Calendula	Cool-season annual	Fall	Full sun	Cheerful orange and yellow; very easy
Stock	Cool-season annual	Fall	Sun to part shade	Fragrant spikes in soft colors
Iceland poppy	Cool-season annual	Fall	Full sun	Papery, jewel-toned blooms
Sweet alyssum	Cool-season annual	Fall	Sun to part shade	Low carpet of honey-scented flowers; keep it contained
Garden mum (chrysanthemum)	Perennial grown as annual	Early fall	Full sun	The classic fall flower; blooms late summer into fall
Cosmos	Warm-season annual	Spring to summer	Full sun	Daisy-like; carries blooms into fall, then fades with cold

Garden mums (chrysanthemums) are the quintessential fall flower, blooming in late summer and fall in a huge range of colors (UC IPM). Cosmos is a warm-season annual that blooms from summer into fall before the cold slows it down (NC State Extension), so it is a lovely bridge from summer, while the cool-season annuals take over for the long haul. One caution on sweet alyssum: it reseeds freely, so keep it in a bed or container where it will not wander. For even more cool-season color, see our guide to flowers that bloom through a SoCal winter.

What to Plant in Fall, Month by Month

Fall planting in Southern California stretches across three months, and timing each job to the cooling weather makes it easier:

September: The soil is still warm, which is ideal for setting out cool-season annual flowers and starts of cool-season vegetables. Get beds cleared and amended, and start planting as the first heat breaks.
October: Prime time. Plant the full range of cool-season flowers, sow or transplant cool-season vegetables, and begin putting spring bulbs in the ground. This is usually the sweet spot of the SoCal fall garden.
November: Keep planting cool-season annuals and vegetables, finish your bulbs, and start thinking about bare-root season for fruit trees and roses just ahead.

Plant Spring Bulbs in Fall

If you want a burst of flowers next spring, fall is when you plant the bulbs. Daffodils and freesia are two of the easiest for Southern California: both are planted in fall and bloom in spring (UC IPM; UC IPM), and Dutch iris is another reliable spring-blooming bulb (UC IPM). The catch in our mild climate is the cold-lovers. Tulips and hyacinths need a pre-chill before planting because our winters are too warm to do it for them: chill tulip bulbs about 4 to 6 weeks before planting for a better bloom (UC IPM), and give hyacinths roughly 6 to 8 weeks of refrigeration in warm-winter areas (Clemson Cooperative Extension). Just keep chilling bulbs away from ripening fruit in the fridge. Loosen and aerate the soil before you plant so the bulbs sit in soft ground, not hard, compacted dirt.

Cool-Season Vegetables to Plant in Fall

Fall is also the start of the cool-season vegetable garden. Crops like cabbage, beets, carrots, and chard do well from fall plantings, and fall is an excellent time to grow lettuce and spinach as well (UC Master Gardeners), along with broccoli, kale, and peas. For the full rundown of what to grow and when, see our guide to the vegetables you can grow in SoCal in fall and winter.

Fall Garden Tasks to Tackle Now

Cooler weather also makes fall the comfortable time to catch up on the jobs summer heat made miserable. If you have a cool-season lawn (like fescue or rye), fall is the most important feeding of the year, and it is a great time to aerate compacted soil (University of Illinois Extension). It is also the ideal window to get ahead of weeds before they take over your beds, our guide to getting rid of weeds naturally can help, and to refresh and amend tired soil so your new fall plantings have somewhere good to root in.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should you plant in fall in Southern California?

Plant cool-season flowers (pansies, violas, snapdragons, calendula, stock, Iceland poppies, sweet alyssum, and garden mums), spring-blooming bulbs, and cool-season vegetables. September and October are the key months, while the soil is still warm enough for roots to establish before winter.

What are the best fall flowers for Southern California?

The best fall flowers are cool-season annuals, especially pansies and violas, plus snapdragons, calendula, stock, Iceland poppies, and sweet alyssum, along with garden mums for classic fall color. Planted in fall, these bloom through fall and winter and often right into spring in our mild climate.

What can I plant in September in Southern California?

September is a good time to set out cool-season annual flowers and cool-season vegetable starts while the soil is still warm, and to prepare and amend your beds. Toward the end of the month you can begin planting spring bulbs.

What can I plant in October in Southern California?

October is prime planting time: put in the full range of cool-season flowers, plant or transplant cool-season vegetables, and get your spring bulbs in the ground. Remember to pre-chill tulips and hyacinths before planting.

When do you plant spring bulbs in Southern California?

Plant spring bulbs in fall, generally October into November. Daffodils, freesia, and Dutch iris are easy here, but tulips and hyacinths need pre-chilling first (about 4 to 6 weeks for tulips and 6 to 8 weeks for hyacinths) because our winters are too mild to chill them naturally.

Is fall a good time to plant in Southern California?

Yes, it is arguably the best time. The combination of cooling air, still-warm soil, and coming winter rain lets roots establish with little stress, so fall-planted flowers, shrubs, bulbs, and vegetables get a strong head start before summer.

Sources

Do not let the cooler months pass with a bare garden. Stop by your favorite Green Thumb Nursery location for cool-season flowers, spring bulbs, vegetable starts, and the soil and advice to get them planted right. Fall is the season to set your garden up for a gorgeous winter and spring, and our team is happy to help you choose.

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