Zone 10 Plants & Flowers

Plant Zone 10 is a beautiful place to live. In these areas, the winters aren’t too chilly and hardly ever dip into icky freezing temps. The summers are warm, sunny, and gorgeous. Miami, Los Angeles, Tampa, San Jose, San Francisco, San Diego, and Phoenix are just a few cities that have this sun kissed Zone 10 weather.

Plant Zone 10 is split into two subzones, Zone 10a and 10b. Zone 10a has a minimum average winter temperature of 30 degrees F to 35 degrees F. Zone 10b is a bit warmer, and has a minimum average winter temperature of 35 degrees F to 40 degrees F. Because of these temperatures, you often see more tropical plants thriving here! Because most winters don’t have freezes, many more plants can survive here that don’t cope well with the cold. On the other hand, you have to be careful of the blazing temperatures that can sometimes burn or kill your plants. 

Beyond flowers there are many plants that can thrive here if brought in during certain months, such as:

• Golden Pathos: One of the world's best selling plants, it is extremely hard to kill and is a great low-maintenance plant. It can grow outside in full sun to partial shade as long as nights stay above 60 degrees F. This variegated plant has a great tropical vibe and does great in high humidity environments. 
• Aralia Fabian Stump: The thick, woody stalk of this shrub looks unique in contrast to its round, small leaves with purple bottoms! Indoors it is very low-maintenance, and it even can grow outside in morning sun during months where the nights are above 60 degrees F.
• Neanthe Bella Parlor Palm: This cute palm livens up any space and thrives in even very low light! It can live outside on a full-shade patio, bring it inside before temps get in the low 60s.
• Fiddle Leaf Fig: Vibrantly green with large leaves, this plant is gorgeous and also a bit difficult! They can grow outside with 2-4 hours of sun as long as nights stay above 50 degrees F, but need high humidity and are very particular about tap water! 
• Boston Fern: An amazing patio plant, this fern is bushy and loves lots of humidity! It is an ideal plant for a bathroom area and looks great in a hanging basket.
• Zeylanica Snake Plant: This type of snake plant can stay outdoors when it is above 60 degrees F, and loves dappled shade. Zeylanica is the most commonly sold type of Sansevieria and is extremely easy to care for.

Any cold-loving plants or veggies are harder to grow well here. Some good examples of this are cauliflower and broccoli. You can try to start them in the early fall or winter to help them develop as well as possible. With that being said, almost all vegetables can grow here as long as they are protected with shade during the hottest summer months. Some great herbs and veggies for this region are:

• Tomatillos
• Ginger
• Bitter Melon
• Miracle Fruit
• Curry Leaf

Because of the tendency towards warm weather, Zone 10 grows an amazing assortment of tropical fruit trees and shrubs. Any outdoor options should be hardy to drought, and fair well in the extreme heat of the Zone! Also consider native plants to your region, which often are the easiest to grow in your own garden at home. 

• Tuscan Blue Rosemary (Romarinus Officinalis): The Tuscan Blue Rosemary plant does great outdoors in full sun where nights stay warmer. They have low water needs, but they do like higher humidity levels, in the 45-55% range. If needed, spritz these guys daily to keep them happy! 
• Caladium: This large leafy plant does best as an annual in shade when used for landscaping. They do best if planted in warmer soil after the last spring frost. It prefers higher humidity and a medium level of water to stay hydrated and healthy throughout the summer months!
• Ficus Benjamina Midnight Braid (Ficus Benjamina): Also known as the weeping fig, this slender-trunked plant does great outside but needs to be kept out of direct sunlight if nights get above 70 degrees F. They do well with low water, but do like higher humidity.
• Floss Flower (Ageratum): A perennial for Zones 10 and 11, this whimsical flower looks like little pom poms within the greenery! It does great in full sun to partial shade, and blooms from late spring to any potential frost. 
• Verbena (Verbena Officinalis): Grown either perennial or annual, it does great in even the sunniest and driest gardens. They need an astounding eight to ten hours of sun daily! 
• Purple Needle Grass (Stipa Pulchra): If you are looking for a grass for the SoCal area, purple needle grass grows natively there! It does great in other Zone 10 areas as well. These plants are great at eliminating carbon, and also help restore water with their strong root systems.
• Apple Guava
• Jackfruit Tree
• June Plum
• Soursop Tree

Picking plants native to a region means that they not only will be more hardy and a great fit for the weather, but it can help the environment too! Planting native wildflowers and plants can help birds, bees, and butterflies thrive. Looking for native options can also help grow endangered or at-risk plant species. What will be native to your specific region will depend on where you live and may take some research, but here are some native plants from around Zone 10!

• Coast Live Oak (Quercus Agrifolia): Oaks were once abundant around California, but now are much less common in the region. These trees are beautiful additions to any space, and they provide wonderful shade!
• White Desert Plumbago (Plumbago Scadens): These beautiful white blooms thrive in Pheonix and love a little partial shade. These perennials will even trellis if you give them the right space! They are great options for fences and hedges that aren’t in too much harsh sunlight. 
• Chaparral Yucca (Hesperoyucca Whipplei): Native to California and Los Angeles, Chaparral Yucca has enchanting white flowers that it blooms during the end of its lifecycle. This plant has a unique relationship with the yucca moth, one of the only pollinators that can help create new Yucca plants. 
• Beach Sunflower (Helianthus Debilis): A perennial native to southern Florida, the Beach Sunflower attracts butterflies and is a great drought-resistant yet beautiful addition to any garden. The fruit also attracts birds! 
• Desert Fairy Duster (Callandra Eriophylla): These beautiful, ethereal plants bloom most of the year, and in some areas of Pheonix all year! The alien-like flower is made from spiky stamens that look like puffs! 
• Common Buckwheat (Eriogonum Fasciculatum): A great addition to landscaping, this southern California cornerstone flowers along the highways in many cities. These plants are great to grow as some of the most endangered butterflies in the area need buckwheat varieties to survive.