The Huntington's Ginkgo Trees Are Gloriously Golden

The spiny superstars of The Desert Garden are going to look perfect and prickly throughout the calendar, and you're always going to be able to find a rose or two (or, let's be real, many more than that) in the garden named after the famous flower.

But The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens is also a place of constant change, new seasons, and stunning sights that can pass in a few days or a week.

Look to the springtime wisteria, the purple-est stretch at the flower-packed San Marino destination, or turn your gold-loving gaze upon late November, when ginkgo trees begin to shimmer.

The wisteria is still a few months out — March is the month to keep in mind — but The Huntington just reported that its gingkos are putting on their annual show over Thanksgiving Weekend 2020.

"Ginkgo season is here!" trumpeted a social post on Thanksgiving Day, an update that surely has prompted some local foliage fans to rethink their plans over the next week or so.

But where to find the glorious ginkgos wearing their fall finery? Plan a solitude-sweet stroll in and around the Japanese Garden for a closer look.

The Huntington is open, but advance reservations are a must. Face coverings should be worn, and there are other safety guidelines to know before you go.

Note also that the landmark's galleries and interior art spaces are temporarily closed.

Seeking more autumnal splendor for an open-air'd idyll?

The Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanical Garden in Arcadia is another spacious area to see several colorful trees, from black walnuts to Eastern redbuds, as December grows nearer.

And this is sweet: The two large gardens are about 15 minutes apart, driving-wise.

That's rather farther than a maple or ginkgo leaf can travel on a chilly November breeze, but it does put two regional hubs of fall foliage within fairly close proximity of each other.