La Cañada Flintridge

Purple for a Gray Day: Lilacs Make Their Descanso Debut

The fragrant flowers are still a ways off from their peak bloom, though. Still, fruit trees and tulips are popping at the La Cañada Flintridge destination.

Descanso Gardens

What to Know

  • Advance reservations only; masks are required
  • The first lilac was photographed on March 2; the lilac area is still mostly "bare" but more flowers are soon to come
  • The garden's cherry trees and tulips are moving toward their peak blooms

March is here, and so is the march of the flowers at Southern California's gardens and floral destinations.

Which means that just about every day, or so it seems, is bringing a fresh flower to ponder, including some of the headline-makers of the natural world.

Take the lilac, a blossom that delivers panache on the purple front and on the fragrance front, too.

It's a scent that many people call their signature, but finding the flowers in profusion can be a little tricky, if you don't know where to look.

But looking at Descanso Gardens, later in March, will give you all of those lavender-lovely feels, for the La Cañada Flintridge garden is one of the Southern California go-tos for this glorious bloom.

And the first bloom of the 2021 season has popped, as of March 2, but here's something to note: The vast sweep of the property's Lilac Garden "is bare" as March begins.

That will change, in the coming weeks, but for now take heart in the fact that this flowery superstar's annual run is on the horizon.

If you can't wait, and you do want to visit Descanso Gardens to see the few lilacs that have popped, you'll be treated in other ways, for the flower trees are bursting, and the landmark's famous tulip area is really revving up for its eye-popping engagement.

When will the lilacs reach peak lilac-a-tude?

Follow the social pages of this oak-packed, camellia-cool gem so you can stay in the middle of the purple swirl.

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