Flowers in season in Southern California — month by month
A working calendar of what is actually growing on the OC coast each month — the stems we feature, the ones we substitute, and the imports we lean on out of season.
Florists who tell you every flower is in season every month of the year are running on imports and chemical preservation. They are not wrong, exactly — the supply chain genuinely can deliver a tulip to Huntington Beach in October. But the tulip you receive in October is not the tulip you receive in March. It travelled further, sat in a cooler longer, and lost something in the journey.
What follows is what is actually growing locally — Southern California, mostly San Diego County and the Central Valley — month by month. When a flower disappears from this list it does not disappear from our catalogue; it just becomes an import. We will tell you which is which when you order.
January
Local: Cymbidium orchids (peak), early ranunculus from greenhouse growers, paperwhites, anemones, narcissus. Imported: Tulips and stock from the Netherlands; roses from Ecuador.
January arrangements lean architectural and clean — a cymbidium spike, a low cluster of ranunculus and anemone, garden greens. Best month of the year for orchids.
February
Local: Tulips begin (San Luis Obispo growers), ranunculus deep into season, freesia, stock, sweet pea begins. Imported: Peonies still flown from Holland and Chile.
Valentine's week dominates February. Roses come from Ecuador and Colombia all month. If you want something other than roses for V-Day, ranunculus and tulips are extraordinary right now and read as more thoughtful.
March
Local: Tulips peak, ranunculus peak, sweet pea peak, freesia, hyacinth, daffodils, lilac begins. Imported: Diminishing — most of what we use is now domestic.
The studio's favourite month. Lilac arrives mid-month and lasts about three weeks. Sweet pea fragrance fills the cooler.
April
Local: Peonies begin late in the month, ranunculus continues, tulips wind down, sweet pea peaks, lilac peaks, calla lilies begin, garden roses. Imported: Almost nothing.
Mother's Day prep begins. Peony pre-orders open by mid-April for the May delivery window.
May
Local: Peonies peak, garden roses peak, calla lilies peak, hydrangeas begin (Mendocino), bells of Ireland, foxglove, larkspur. Imported: Minimal.
Mother's Day, May graduations, the start of wedding season. The studio runs hardest in May.
June
Local: Peonies wind down by mid-month, hydrangeas peak, sunflowers begin, delphinium, scabiosa, dahlias begin. Imported: Late peonies from Alaska briefly available.
Wedding season at full volume. Hydrangeas are the workhorse; one branch fills a centerpiece.
July & August
Local: Hydrangeas peak, sunflowers peak, dahlias peak, zinnias, lisianthus, gladiolus, bird of paradise, ginger. Imported: Tropicals from Hawaii.
High summer. Tropicals lean in. Sunflowers and ginger compositions photograph beautifully against the OC coast aesthetic.
September & October
Local: Dahlias peak (October is the dahlia month), late sunflowers, chrysanthemums, ornamental kale, hypericum berries, branches with autumn colour. Imported: Roses always.
Fall arrangements move to deeper palettes — burgundy, copper, cream. Thanksgiving pre-orders open in late October.
November
Local: Chrysanthemums, late dahlias, branches, rose hips, hypericum berries, eucalyptus seeded heavily. Imported: Lilies for Thanksgiving, garden roses.
The studio's second-busiest month after May. Thanksgiving centerpieces ship the Saturday before Thanksgiving Day for arrival Tuesday.
December
Local: Amaryllis, paperwhites, holly, ilex berries, evergreens, spruce, fir, juniper. Imported: Roses, cymbidium orchids, hellebores arrive late in the month.
Holiday arrangements, wreaths, and centerpieces. The cooler is full of red and white through December 23.
How seasonality shapes the catalogue
Our website filters automatically remove out-of-season arrangements when their primary stem cannot be sourced fresh. If you cannot find peonies in October, that is the system working as designed — we would rather show you nothing than ship you a flown-in approximation.
When you order a custom arrangement, we lead with what is in season and only import when a specific stem is non-negotiable. Tell us what you want; we will tell you honestly what the trade-offs are.
Frequently asked
When are peonies in season in Southern California?
Mid-April through late June for local supply. Imports from Holland or Alaska extend the window briefly into July, then again briefly in October from Chile, but those stems are flown in and priced accordingly.
What flowers are in season in Orange County right now?
It depends on the month — see the table above. Roses are year-round (imported); hydrangeas June through October; peonies April through June; tulips and ranunculus February through April.
Do you only use locally-grown flowers?
No — we use whichever stems are best for the arrangement. Local when available, imported when the customer asks for something out of season. We always disclose which is which.