What to Know2026 Native Plant Garden TourPresented by the Theodore Payne Foundation$55One ticket covers Saturday and Sunday toursOver 40 private gardens are on the 2026 route”Habitats That Heal” is the themeEach garden will feature “at least 50% California native plants”
If your wildflower bingo card is looking a little empty this spring, and you haven’t yet enjoyed the ethereal colors and soft swaths of natural splendor that is a far-off found field of blossoms, there are uplifting solutions closer to Los Angeles.
One of the best ways to find floral happiness is to look to a foundation that is synonymous with California wildflowers: the Theodore Payne Foundation.
Theodore Payne is behind the free Wild Flower Hotline, a weekly service that has been blooming, with regularity, for over 40 years. The foundation’s Sun Valley nursery is also a trusted resource for Southern Californians looking to plant local specimens in their own yards.
You can find many of those yards open to visitors on both April 11 and 12, thanks to an annual peek-inside event organized by the foundation.
The Native Plant Garden Tour isn’t strictly about true wildflower discoveries, but you can visit over three dozen private yards and find many of the regional flowers you might come across in Antelope Valley, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, or another wildflower-famous location.
“Every featured garden includes at least 50% California native plants, offering critical habitat for birds, bees, and butterflies,” shares the foundation. “Join us and experience the transformative power of native plants!”
A ticket is $55 and covers both days. And while calling upon four to seven spots is recommended, the foundation knows there are some people who will try to complete all 44 gardens over Saturday and Sunday.
With that in mind, a “logical route” has been created for the self-guided adventure.
Homes in Eagle Rock, West Hollywood, Mt. Washington, and Van Nuys are participating. And some of the destinations’ names are full of spring-style spunk: Bee’s Bliss, Eagle Rock Oasis, and The Accidental Birdhouse are a few of the charming monikers that tour participants have bestowed upon their flowery oases.
Again, this tour isn’t about wildflowers in the strict sense, as people are tending these yards. But many of the flowers found within the yards on view will be colorful and Californian and just the sort of gorgeous blooms you might find edging a remote trail or puddling in a canyon in the foothills.
Call it a way to add some wildflower moxie to your spring, without the big drive or search to a far-off bastion of blossoms.
For ticket information, what gardens will be featured on which dates, and other important details, visit the Theodore Payne Foundation’s garden tour site.