Where To Find Blooming Summer Flowers In California

30 Jun 10:44 0 comments

We’ve spent years designing arrangements that feel like California in full bloom. As a florist based in Los Angeles, we’re lucky to work with some of the most beautiful local flowers grown just a few hours from our studio. It’s why our summer flower arrangements always feel so fresh and alive.

We love seeing those same blooms in the wild too. If you're anything like us, a road trip to catch wildflowers at their best is a perfect way to spend the day. So we put together this guide to help you find blooming summer flowers in California and explain what you’ll find waiting for you when you get there.

We've split this guide by location covering Northern California, Central California, Southern California, and coastal regions.

Northern California

1. Lassen Volcanic National Park

Photo Credit: Flickr

Bloom Period: Late May to July
Notable Flowers: Mountain mule's ear, pussypaws, snow plant, western wallflower, corn lily, lupine

Lassen Volcanic National Park feels untouched. With its steaming vents, alpine lakes, and high-altitude meadows, it carries a kind of quiet magic that hits you the second you step onto a trail. The snow sticks around longer here, which means the wildflower season shows up late but strong.

We always keep our eyes out for snow plants (official name Sarcodes Sanguinea). Their deep red color almost glows from the forest floor. You’ll find them growing under the trees, and they don’t even need sunlight. Pussypaws are another favorite. They’re small and close to the ground with soft pink petals that look almost like velvet.

These two are easy to miss if you're not looking for them, which is exactly why we recommend them. There's a rare, fleeting beauty in catching a glimpse of flowers that many hikers walk past without ever seeing.

If you're planning a visit, go in late July or early August. Stick to shaded areas near melting snow patches, and take your time. Some of the best blooms are tucked away from the main path.

2. Lake Tahoe Region

Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash

Bloom Period: Late April to July
Notable Flowers: White phlox, Mariposa lily, yellow buttercup, blue lupine, red snow plant, orange paintbrush, pussypaws

Next up, you’ve got to make your way to the Lake Tahoe region. Once the snow starts to melt, the entire landscape shifts and it becomes one of the best spots to find summer flowers in California.

Valleys and slopes that were frozen over just weeks before fill with wildflowers, especially around forested trails and open meadows. It’s one of the most dramatic seasonal changes you can see in California.

Try and hunt down the Mariposa lilies, one of the most popular flowers in the state. They’re not as common as some of the others and tend to grow in quiet, less-touched spots. Their petals have soft markings that stand out when you get close. The red snow plant is another favorite. Its deep red color rises straight from the ground near pine trees and can stop you in your tracks.

If you’re exploring, wear solid shoes and expect uneven paths. Shaded areas are especially good for spotting these kinds of wildflowers. Keep your steps light and your eyes open.

3. Eastern Sierra (Mono County)

Photo Credit: Flickr

Bloom Period: Late May to July
Notable Flowers: Orange tiger lilies, yellow mule’s ears, golden mustards, scarlet gilias, blue lupines, purple wild irises, desert peaches

You don’t want to miss the Eastern Sierra in summer. High up in places like Tioga Pass and McGee Creek, the landscape completely transforms. One minute it's granite and sky, the next it's full of color spilling out of meadows and across the trails.

We always keep an eye out for desert peaches. You might not expect fruiting plants in this kind of alpine setting, but these pale pink blooms feel almost surreal against the dry rock. Then there’s the orange tiger lily. It’s tall, bold, and rare at this elevation. You have to see them in their natural setting to understand their full impact.

Parking near trailheads can be limited, especially around the more popular spots. Be prepared for cooler air and sudden wind, especially near exposed ridges where the wildflowers thrive.

Central California

4. Pinnacles National Park

Photo Credit: Flickr

Bloom Period: March to May
Notable Flowers: California poppies, bush poppies, fiesta flowers, monkey flowers, baby blue eyes, bush lupine, clarkias, orchids, penstemon, roses

You’ve got to see Pinnacles when the flowers show up. The way they cover the slopes and trails feels almost unexpected in a place this rugged. Over 80 percent of the park’s wildflowers bloom during summer, and it turns the dry rock and brush into a living painting.

We always tell people to stop for the California poppy. It’s our state flower for a reason. When they open in the sun, the whole area starts to glow with this soft, steady orange. You see them on postcards, but being surrounded by them, seeing how they move with the wind, that’s different. There’s also bush lupine that blooms nearby, and it makes for the most beautiful color contrast.

5. Carrizo Plain National Monument

Photo Credit: Flickr

Bloom Period: Mid-March to early May
Notable Flowers: Daisies, goldfields, phacelia

This one’s out of the way, but so worth it. Carrizo Plain National Monument can feel almost empty when you first arrive, just open land and sky. But after a good rain season, that emptiness turns into color. The transformation is massive. It’s not just a patch of wildflowers, it’s an entire field breathing in yellow and violet.

You have to see the phacelia when it blooms. It’s not the loudest plant, but it carries this soft purple tone that glows under morning light. Goldfields pop up too, tiny and dense, covering hills like velvet. We always recommend finding a higher viewpoint to take it all in.

Bring everything you’ll need. Water, snacks, gas. Services are sparse and cell signal fades quickly. It gets windy in the afternoons and the dust travels far, so good shoes and a scarf for your face can make a difference when hunting California’s summer flowers.

Southern California

6. Joshua Tree National Park

Photo Credit: Flickr

Bloom Period: April to June (higher elevations)
Notable Flowers: Desert mariposa, blackbush, beavertail cactus, desert fiddleneck

You’ll feel the shift as soon as you drive into Joshua Tree. The light gets harsher and then out of nowhere, you’ll spot a bloom pushing through rock and sand. This isn’t a soft landscape, which makes its flowers even more powerful. Higher areas like Juniper Flats and Black Rock Canyon still hold onto color well into summer.

Make sure you don’t miss the desert mariposa. It’s one of the most fragile-looking flowers we’ve seen in a place this harsh. The petals are pale and almost translucent, and if you catch them in the right light, they shimmer like silk. They grow low to the ground and often in small groups, which makes finding them feel like you’ve stumbled into a secret.

Try quieter trails if you can. The mariposas seem to prefer spots with less foot traffic. And stop often, even when the landscape looks bare. That’s when they appear.

7. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Photo Credit: Flickr

Bloom Period: Typically early spring
Notable Flowers: Desert gold poppies, phacelia, various "belly flowers"

Desert gold poppies are the soul of Anza-Borrego State Park when it blooms. You won’t always find them because this park is known for being unpredictable, but when they do appear, they light up the ground like it’s been brushed with gold. They’re tied so closely to this place that seeing them here feels like witnessing the desert’s way of telling its own story.

Heat moves in quickly here, even on days that start off cool. Wear a hat, carry more water than feels necessary, and plan your stops before heading out. There’s little shade and almost no services.

8. Chino Hills State Park

Photo Credit: Flickr

Bloom Period: March to May
Notable Flowers: California poppies, black mustard, violet owl clovers, Arroyo lupines, wild radish

The one flower we always look for when we're walking the trails in Chino Hills State Park (besides California Poppies which tend to bloom more in Spring) is violet owl clover. If you’ve never seen them in person, you’re in for a quiet surprise. It’s small, with soft purple petals that sit on top of a fuzzy green stem. It provides a washed lavender feel.

Locals still whisper about a lost gold mine tucked somewhere in these hills, a story passed down from the 1800s. According to legend, a prospector struck gold, then vanished without a trace, and the entrance to the mine has never been found. Some swear the wildflowers only grow thickest above it, like nature’s clue.

Whether or not you believe that, there’s definitely magic in the way those blooms cover the hills each summer.

Stick to the eastern trails if you’re hoping for fewer crowds and a gentler climb. Wild radish can be sneaky, especially later in the season, so closed-toe shoes are a must. We also bring binoculars since the hills attract hawks during the summer period.

Coastal Regions

9. Channel Islands National Park

Photo Credit: Flickr

Bloom Period: Mid‑February to May is the peak season, but several species continue blooming into summer.
Notable Flowers (Summer-Friendly): Island buckwheats (Eriogonum arborescens & E. giganteum), red buckwheat (Eriogonum grande rubescens), gumplant, poppies, verbena

Last but not least in our guide to summer flowers in California is the Channel Islands National park.

Red buckwheat holds its ground here long after the spring bloomers have faded. Its dusty pink flowers cling to the cliffs and hillsides like they’ve lived there forever. You won’t find it thriving like this on the mainland. It belongs to these islands, shaped by salt air and silence.

The first time we came out here, we didn’t expect the wind. It howled through the canyons on Santa Rosa like it was guarding something precious.

You’ll need to pack light and smart. Closed-toe shoes, lots of water, and sun protection are non-negotiable. There’s no grabbing lunch or ducking into a shop. The beauty here is raw.