Buena Park, California planting calendar and frost dates
Buena Park is in USDA hardiness zone 10a, and frost is rare: a 32°F night happens in fewer than 1 year in 100.
Frost dates in Buena Park
A 32°F night is not recorded here: it happens in fewer than 1 year in 100, so median frost dates do not describe a typical year.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Santa Ana John Wayne Airport, 11.1 miles SSE of the city center and 105 feet lower. Low-lying and rural spots often frost later in spring and earlier in fall than airports and city centers. Buena Park shares this station with Anaheim, so the two cities have the same frost dates and planting calendar.
What to plant each month in Buena Park
The main vegetable season is the cool half of the year: October through March is prime time for greens, roots, peas and cole crops, and many of them can be sown almost year-round because summers rarely get hot. Warm-season crops go in from about March or April through early summer, but 'May gray' and 'June gloom' keep soils cool, so heat lovers such as melons, peppers and eggplant ripen more slowly than inland. Nearly all rain falls between November and March, so summer crops depend entirely on irrigation. The months below follow the planting calendar for Southern California Coast from the Cooperative Extension sources listed.
January
Plant: asparagus, azaleas, beets, blackberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chives, collard greens, grapes, green onions, hollyhocks, kale, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsley, peas, poppies, potatoes, radishes, raspberries, rhubarb, roses, snapdragons, spinach, strawberries, sweet peas, swiss chard, turnips, wildflowers
February
Plant: asparagus, azaleas, bearded irises, beets, black-eyed susans, blackberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, chives, cilantro, collard greens, cosmos, dahlias, daylilies, dill, gladioli, grapes, green onions, hollyhocks, kale, lavenders, leeks, lettuce, marigolds, nasturtiums, onions, parsley, peas, petunias, poppies, potatoes, radishes, raspberries, roses, snapdragons, spinach, strawberries, sweet peas, swiss chard, turnips, wildflowers, zucchini
March
Plant: asparagus, avocados, basil, bearded irises, beets, black-eyed susans, blackberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, chives, cilantro, collard greens, cosmos, dahlias, daylilies, dill, gladioli, green onions, hollyhocks, kale, lavenders, lettuce, marigolds, mints, nasturtiums, oregano, parsley, peas, petunias, poppies, potatoes, radishes, raspberries, rosemary, sage, snapdragons, spinach, strawberries, sunflowers, sweet peas, swiss chard, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, wildflowers, winter squash, zinnias, zucchini
April
Plant: avocados, basil, bearded irises, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, cilantro, cosmos, cucumbers, dahlias, daylilies, dill, eggplants, gladioli, green onions, hollyhocks, lavenders, lilies, marigolds, mints, nasturtiums, okra, oregano, peppers, petunias, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, rosemary, sage, sunflowers, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, thyme, tomatoes, watermelons, winter squash, zinnias, zucchini
May
Plant: avocados, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, cosmos, cucumbers, dahlias, eggplants, gladioli, green onions, hollyhocks, marigolds, nasturtiums, okra, peppers, petunias, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, rosemary, sunflowers, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, tomatoes, watermelons, winter squash, zinnias, zucchini
June
Plant: avocados, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, cosmos, cucumbers, eggplants, gladioli, hollyhocks, lavenders, marigolds, nasturtiums, okra, peppers, petunias, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, sunflowers, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, tomatoes, watermelons, winter squash, zinnias, zucchini
July
Plant: basil, beets, carrots, cosmos, cucumbers, dill, marigolds, nasturtiums, peppers, petunias, radishes, sweet corn, swiss chard, tomatoes, zinnias, zucchini
August
Plant: bearded irises, beets, black-eyed susans, carrots, celery, cosmos, cucumbers, daylilies, hollyhocks, lilies, marigolds, nasturtiums, petunias, poppies, radishes, snapdragons, sweet corn, sweet peas, swiss chard, zinnias, zucchini
September
Plant: bearded irises, beets, black-eyed susans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, celery, daylilies, green onions, hollyhocks, leeks, lilies, poppies, radishes, saffron, snapdragons, sweet peas, swiss chard, zucchini
October
Plant: azaleas, beets, black-eyed susans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chives, collard greens, garlic, green onions, hollyhocks, kale, leeks, lettuce, parsley, peas, poppies, radishes, sage, snapdragons, spinach, strawberries, sweet peas, swiss chard, thyme, turnips, wildflowers
November
Plant: azaleas, beets, black-eyed susans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chives, cilantro, collard greens, crocuses, garlic, green onions, hollyhocks, hyacinths, kale, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsley, peas, poppies, radishes, snapdragons, spinach, strawberries, sweet peas, swiss chard, tulips, turnips, wildflowers
December
Plant: azaleas, beets, blackberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chives, collard greens, crocuses, garlic, grapes, green onions, hollyhocks, hyacinths, kale, leeks, lettuce, nasturtiums, onions, parsley, peas, poppies, radishes, raspberries, rhubarb, snapdragons, spinach, strawberries, sweet peas, swiss chard, tulips, turnips, wildflowers
Sources for the Southern California Coast calendar
- A Year of Growing Vegetables (planting chart, Sunset zones 22-24) · UC Master Gardeners of Orange County, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources
- Southern California Vegetable Planting Schedule (Zones 23-24) · UC Master Gardeners of Ventura County, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources
- Vegetable Garden Planting Guide for San Diego County (coastal and inland dates) · UC Master Gardeners of San Diego County / UC Cooperative Extension (V. Lazaneo)
- California Master Gardener Handbook, Table 14.2 Vegetable Gardening at a Glance (South Coast column) · UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (linked by UC Master Gardener Program of Riverside County)
- Garden Tips for Los Angeles County (monthly gardening tips, January-December) · UC Cooperative Extension Los Angeles County (Y. Savio)
Frost dates and zones by ZIP code in Buena Park
All 2 of Buena Park's main ZIP codes take their frost dates from Santa Ana John Wayne Airport, so the dates on this page apply across the city. Every one of them is in zone 10a.
| ZIP code | Zone | Weather station | Typical last frost | Typical first frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90620 | 10a | Santa Ana John Wayne Airport, 11.1 mi SSE | Rare | Rare |
| 90621 | 10a | Santa Ana John Wayne Airport, 11.1 mi SSE | Rare | Rare |
Santa Ana John Wayne Airport also supplies the frost dates for Anaheim, Irvine, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove and Fullerton and 11 more cities, so their planting calendars match Buena Park's.
Nearby cities
- Fullerton, CA zone 10a
- Norwalk, CA zone 10b
- La Habra, CA zone 10a
- Garden Grove, CA zone 10b
- Lakewood, CA zone 10b
- Bellflower, CA zone 10b
Planting in CaliforniaAbout zone 10aSouthern California Coast planting calendarPrintable calendar for Buena Park
Questions
When is the last frost in Buena Park?
Frost is rare in Buena Park: a 32°F night happens in fewer than 1 year in 100, so planting follows the Southern California Coast calendar on this page rather than frost dates.
What planting zone is Buena Park in?
USDA hardiness zone 10a (2023 map), with parts of the city in zone 10b. The zone tells you which perennials survive the winter; planting times follow the regional calendar instead.