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Stroll and drive along the streets of South Pasadena and you will be amazed at the wide variety of plants and trees that grow and thrive in our temperate climate. This guide will help you find these beauties tucked in private gardens, parkways and public parks all over town.
Pink Trumpet Tree: Bright pink to magenta tubular flowers with yellow throats develop in large round clusters in late winter to early spring when the tree is without leaves. It’s a deciduous tree with an open branching habit and rounded canopy shape. It provides one of the most stunning flowering displays of any urban tree. Best example can be found on El Centro Street next to Orange Grove Park.
Wisteria: A long-lived vining plant with cascades of blue to purple flowers with the best display hanging from a pergola or trailing along a sturdy fence. Fast and aggressive grower with the most beautifully fragrant flowers, providing a feast for the senses. Best accessible example is located on the corner of Rollin Street and Marengo Avenue.
Camellia: Attractive evergreen shrubs that are highly prized for their exquisite blooms, evergreen foliage and compact shapely habit. Blooming prodigiously for months from fall to spring and are ranked as one of the very best flowering shrubs. A wide variety of colors ranging from red to pink to white to yellow and various shapes and sizes of blooms are available. Camellias can be found in numerous gardens in South Pasadena.
Lilac: Flowers traditionally bloom in shades of pink, purple and white and are known for their fragrance and delicate flowers. Varieties suitable for Southern California’s climate are in shrub form with older, mature plants venturing into tree stature. Lilacs can be found in private gardens in South Pasadena.
Poppies: They are self-seeding from year to year and prefer ample water and full sunshine. Poppies can also adapt to poor soil conditions and periods of drought. Poppies can be found in many drought tolerant gardens in town.
Angel’s Trumpet: The spectacular hanging trumpet-shaped flowers make this plant an eclectic choice to seek out for your garden. Grown either as a woody shrub or small tree, all parts of the plant are toxic to humans, dogs and cats. Flower colors range from white, yellow, gold, orange, pink or peach. Two examples can be found at the corner of Brent Avenue and Oxley Street.
Bird of Paradise: The name is derived from the unusual flowers, which resemble brightly colored birds in flight. The plant needs warm temperatures and plenty of sunshine to produce its distinctive colorful blooms.
