Jacarandas are beautiful, but they're not LA's only blooming tree. Here's your SoCal guide

You know them, you might love looking at them, and you definitely hate to park under them. Jacaranda season is upon us, and the iconic tree gets a lot of attention every year (see here if you need help tracking them down). But if you only pay attention to that bloom, you’re barely scratching the surface of the flowers you can see every year – there's no shortage of tree species planted around town.

If you're going to park under a jacaranda, it helps if your car matches the flowers.

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Kevin Tidmarsh/LAist

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Greater Los Angeles has an incredibly varied assortment of tree species, owing in part to its microclimates and the many varieties of trees that can adapt to live here, especially drought-tolerant ones. And while they may not all have the name recognition of the famous tree imported from South America, they’re just as eye-grabbing when you see them.

Keep your eyes peeled this summer for these blooms, and if there’s a particular tree you’ve got to see flower yourself, you might want to consult a guide like this one for the city of L.A.. And if you’d rather see a bunch of trees at once, it could be worth a trip to somewhere like the L.A. County Arboretum or Descanso Gardens.

To put some shine on these lesser-known tree species, we went ahead and polled some specialists from TreePeople and the L.A. County Arboretum for their favorite blooms.

One protip from our experts: The range of time when you can see these trees in bloom can vary substantially from year to year, especially as climate change intensifies. This year’s blooming season, like last year’s, is later than usual owing to a wet winter, and trees of the same species might not bloom at exactly the same time. So if you don’t see any flowers, don’t fret – you can look somewhere else, and the same tree could be a lot more flowery in just a week or two.

Crepe myrtles

• Lagerstroemia

A crepe myrtle tree in the L.A. County Arboretum.

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Courtesy Frank McDonough/L.A. County Arboretum

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Crepe myrtles do well in lots of L.A.'s microclimates, including by the beach. A specimen in Redondo Beach is pictured here.

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Kevin Tidmarsh/LAist

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• When it normally flowers: Summer (may flower multiple times per year)
• Native to: Oceania, South and Southeast Asia
• About the tree: It shouldn’t be too hard to spot, since its hardiness makes it one of the most commonly planted trees in L.A., though TreePeople’s senior arborist Bryan Vejar said it’s fallen out of favor somewhat in recent years in part due to its widespread planting. And summer isn't the only time Frank McDonough, botanical information consultant of the L.A. County Arboretum, said that they're one of the best trees for fall foliage when cooler temperatures roll around.

Southern magnolia

• Magnolia grandiflora

Magnolia grandiflora getting ready to bloom.

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Courtesy U.S. National Arboretum

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• When it normally flowers: Spring through fall
• Native to: Southeastern United States
• About the tree: If you want to see some really big flowers, Vejar says this is one of the ones to look out for: They can get almost as big as a dinner plate. Magnolias are also a living fossil, being one of the first plants to evolve flowers tens of millions of years ago.
  

Tipuana

• Tipuana tipu

Tipuana tipu trees, like jacarandas, were originally brought to L.A. from South America.

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Flickr user Cyril Nelson

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• When it normally flowers: Early to late summer
• Native to: South America
• About the tree: This tree is a member of the legume family, but you might think it’s more closely related to maple trees if you saw their helicopter-like seeds, according to Vejar.
  

Gold medallion tree

• Cassia leptophylla

Cassia leptophylla, the Gold Medallion tree.

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Courtesy Frank McDonough/L.A. County Arboretum

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• When it normally flowers: Summer
• Native to: Southern Brazil
• About the tree: These are related to tipuanas, also being members of the legume family, and they produce long, skinny seed pods – though McDonough warned to be careful with these around kids, as they’re somewhat toxic.
  

Chinese flame tree

• Koelreuteria bipinnata

This tree goes by many names - Chinese flame tree, Chinese lantern tree, the Bougainvillea golden-rain tree - but whatever you call it, it's beautiful, right?

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Flickr user Surely Shirly

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• When it normally flowers: Summer to fall
• Native to: East Asia
• About the tree: These trees can be somewhat invasive in humid regions or close to the coast, but otherwise Vejar says they’ve adapted well to the Los Angeles urban environment. They’re also known as Chinese lantern trees due to their papery, lantern-shaped seed pods.
  

Strawberry tree

• Arbutus unedo

The strawberry tree can produce small white flowers year-round. It's just as remarkable for its fruit - which is much harder to eat than actual strawberries.

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Flickr user laredawg

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• When it normally flowers: Year-round
• Native to: Mediterranean Europe
• About the tree: This tree, an evergreen, has a deep red, exfoliating bark that’s almost as remarkable as its bell-shaped flowers. If you spot one, Vejar said you may also see some hummingbirds nearby. And the fruit is edible – though if you try it, be warned that it may be quite gritty and tough to chew.

Elderberry

• Sambucus racemosa)

Don't forget: Pollination is why plants evolved to produce flowers.

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Courtesy National Park Service

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• When it normally flowers: Summer
• Native to: Most of North America
• About the tree: While this widespread species is perhaps best known for its use in Native American medicine, it also produces beautiful flowers in white, cream and yellow. It’s currently in its blooming season, said Vejar.

Queensland bottle tree

• Brachychiton rupestris)

The Queensland bottle tree is one of a few Australian trees featured on this list.

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Courtesy Frank McDonough/L.A. County Arboretum

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• When it normally flowers: Spring to summer
• Native to: Queensland, Australia
• About the tree: These trees grow rather quickly and, being from a very dry part of Australia, have a mechanism where they can store water inside, similar to a cactus. According to McDonough, this is one of the most stable trees you can plant owing to its low center of gravity.

Desert willow

• Chilopsis

Desert willows are usually covered in pink flowers when they're in bloom, but they can also come in white.

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Courtesy Charlie McDonald/U.S. Forest Service

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• When it normally flowers: Late spring to summer
• Native to: Mexico and southwestern U.S.
• About the tree: These are related to jacarandas, and are one of the few species native to the area that is appropriate for an urban environment. Vejar said now is a good time to seek out this flower, as they’re just starting to bloom.
  

Catalina ironwood

• Lyonothamnus

The Catalina ironwood's exfoliating reddish bark and leaves are remarkable any time of year, but you can also spot it covered with white flowers when it's in bloom.

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Flickr user brewbooks

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• When it normally flowers: Summer
• Native to: Channel Islands
• About the tree: Being native to coastal regions, Vejar said the best place for this species to grow is by the coast, though it’ll still survive in the Inland Empire and other warmer areas.

Floss silk tree

• Ceiba speciosa

This specimen of ceiba speciosa was started from seed at the L.A. Arboretum.

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Courtesy Frank McDonough/L.A. County Arboretum

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• When it normally flowers: From August to December, depending on variety
• Native to: South America
• About the tree: The tree is loved by horticulturists for its prominent flowers and low water use – though its tendency to drop branches without warning has earned it the nickname “palo borracho” (drunken branch), said McDonough.

Lacebark tree

• Brachychiton discolor

Brachychiton discolor's flowers are beautiful on the tree, but they're just as showy when they drop to the ground.

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Courtesy Frank McDonough/L.A. County Arboretum

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• When it normally flowers: Summer to fall
• Native to: Eastern Australia
• About the tree: These flowers will eventually drop from the tree like jacarandas (and other flowering trees) – but with the lacebark tree, that’s actually a plus, as they produce a pleasing thwack sound when they hit concrete or asphalt. “I like to just put myself in a nice meditative state and listen to these things,” McDonough said. “There's no way to put any kind of word on it. It has a very calming effect on you.”
  

Plumeria

This is just one of many, many varieties of plumerias you can see at the L.A. Arboretum and around town.

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Courtesy Frank McDonough/L.A. Arboretum

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• When it normally flowers: Spring to fall, depending on variety
• Native to: Tropical and subtropical parts of the Americas, from Florida to Brazil
• About the tree: While this plant commonly associated with Hawaii is often grown as a shrub, McDonough said they’re more accurately classified as small trees. The L.A. Arboretum currently has the largest collection of plumeria in the U.S., and you can celebrate the flower at their Plumeria Festival this July 19 and 20.
  

Red flowering gum

• Corymbia ficifolia

A personal favorite flower produced by the red flowering gum tree.

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Kevin Tidmarsh/LAist

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• When it normally flowers: Year-round, but especially in July and August
• Native to: Western Australia
• About the tree: All right, I’ll admit it – this tree is my own addition, and I saved my personal favorite for last. I’m a big fan of flowers that look otherworldly, and these anemone-like blooms really take the cake. Like many of the trees listed, it can also grow in urban conditions that other species would balk at – it’s very “punk rock” in that way, as Vejar put it.