Fall blooms check. Leaf color change? Check. LA has it all.
September 2026. LA never stops blooming! Maybe that is why many miss our more transitional autumn vibe shift. It happens – and it’s worth noting. When your friends imported from Colorado, Vermont, maybe Wisconsin start yearning for (or, let’s by frank – bragging about) their state’s senescence, it’s important to have the cure their blues: LA’s own fantastic fall foliage.
Most Awe-Inspiring: Sycamores
Let’s start at the top with one of our tallest native trees. It’s hard to have an ego under a sycamore. Looking up and up and up to the height of a 200-400 year old Angeleno has a way of placing life in context. They bring the insta-realization the rest of us are itty-bitty blips in time.
Once we feel young and small, the wonder sets in: How long does it take a rain drop to navigate down from that height, leaf by leaf? Does the drop worry about that last daring and dramatic fall from it’s lowest branch? Who gets to live in there? How do they hit that note? Do they wonder why we speak instead of sing?
The awe is available year round. Yet, distinctive in fall. When the light moves through Sycamore’s golden leaves, the real magic happens. The questions, the thoughts, and time all stop.
Pro Tip: After you look up, if you are planting a sycamore also look around. As our more most expansive native trees, we don’t love them for petite parkways, small spaces, or anywhere near wires, eaves or roofs. But, we sure do love them! So, remember the rule: When in doubt, give loved ones space.
Outstanding Seasonal Performance: Western Redbud
Seriously. This one. Such a chameleon! Think Reese Witherspoon. In winter, she can look as bare and wild-eyed as Cheryl Strayed, then she puts on head-to-toe saccharine pink blooms to transform into Elle Woods. In summer, she’s every bit as pretty-but-shaaaaady as Madeline Martha McKenzie. All that flexibility, yet it is autumn when she brings in the Oscar gold. One look and you’ll know she’s your darlin’ companion.
Pro Tip: Plant her! Western Redbud is one of our favorite ways to add tree canopy. She can fit in small spaces and even complement larger trees as almost-understory. Her spectacular aesthetic adaptations aren’t just for show. She brings shade in summer, and she lets rain and heat through in the winter. An incredible asset.
Sensational Scarlet: Oregon Grape
In each season, the glossy, holly-like leaves of Oregon Grape bring something new and distinctive. In spring, dark green foliage provides a backdrop against which bright yellow blooms pop. In summer, its leaves seem to serve up its blueberry-like grapes. It’s Oregon’s scarlet senescence that is it’s most sensational aesthetic.
Pro Tip: Others also bring scarlet, crimson and mahogany, including other native grapes. If you are really after the reds, check out Roger’s Red Grape, Vine Maple, and California Dogwood. All have their charms.
But Wait There Is More!
So many extraordinary stands of old and ancient Coast Live Oaks inhabit Los Angeles. Evergreen, their small leathery leaves hold fast and make outsized contributions to LA’s resilience. Can you believe LA has even more native oaks?
Unlike the Coast Lives, both native Englemann and Valley Oaks transform in late summer and autumn. They have different reasons for the shift in wardrobe. Englemann Oaks are drought-deciduous and may keep their leaves in an irrigated garden or near a bioswale. Valley Oaks are traditionally deciduous and would be the choice if you seek seasonal senescence.
Even More Seasonal Vibes
It’s not just our trees. LA’s does a full vibe shift in autumn. We share the seasonal changes we see in our Seasons Stories in Instagram. You can see fall favorite flowers in Fall Color, LA Style and via our Blooming Now Boards in Pinterest.
Of course, our favorite option is to get outside! To meet these beauties live and in-person join us on tour or visit one of our demonstration gardens.
