Plant Nurseries & Garden Centers in San Diego, CA

Choosing what to grow? See six plants for San Diego, with photos and care advice.

Where to buy plants here

Where to buy plants in San Diego, CA: big-box vs. independent

San Diego, CA has 45 independent nurseries and 17 big-box garden centers in this directory's own classification. Independent, big-box, and grower are separate business-structure categories on file for each listing, not a ranking of one over another.

Independent, named

Plus 42 more in the listings below.

Big-box, named

Plus 14 more in the listings below.

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness zone: 10b
Avg. minimum winter temp: 35°F

Frost is rare here (about 359 frost-free days a year); most years see little or no hard freeze.

What's plantable right now

Frost is rare here, so timing follows temperature rather than frost dates. September's average temperature at the nearest weather station is about 70°F.

Cool-season crops to plant now

Apple (bare-root fruit tree)
Apricot (bare-root fruit tree)
Asparagus
Bachelor's Button (Cornflower)
Bare-root rose
Beets · 55–65 days to maturity
Blackberry
Blueberry
Bok Choy
Broccoli · 65–80 days to maturity
Brussels Sprouts · 40–50 days to maturity
Cabbage · 70–85 days to maturity
Calendula
Carrots · 70–85 days to maturity
Catnip/Catmint
Cauliflower · 55–75 days to maturity
Celery · 40–70 days to maturity
Cherry (sweet/tart, bare-root fruit tree)
Chives
Cilantro · 50–55 days to maturity
Collards · 32–72 days to maturity
Currant
Deciduous shade tree (generic, e.g. maple/oak, bare-root or B&B)
Dill · 40–55 days to maturity
Elderberry
Evergreen shrub (B&B/potted, e.g. arborvitae, boxwood)
Fennel (Bulb/Florence) · 60–90 days to maturity
Flowering deciduous shrub (generic, e.g. lilac/forsythia)
Garden Peas · 54–75 days to maturity
Garlic · 180–210 days to maturity
Gooseberry
Kale · 50–70 days to maturity
Kohlrabi · 50–65 days to maturity
Larkspur
Lavender · 100–200 days to maturity
Leek · 50–120 days to maturity
Lettuce · 45–80 days to maturity
Mint
Mustard Greens · 25–50 days to maturity
Nasturtium
Onion (bulb) · 75–120 days to maturity
Oregano
Parsley · 33–75 days to maturity
Parsnip · 70–150 days to maturity
Peach (bare-root fruit tree)
Pear (bare-root fruit tree)
Petunia
Plum (bare-root fruit tree)
Potato · 95–125 days to maturity
Radish · 20–35 days to maturity
Raspberry
Rhubarb
Rutabaga · 70–80 days to maturity
Sage
Snapdragon
Snow Peas · 54–72 days to maturity
Spinach · 40–60 days to maturity
Strawberry
Sweet Alyssum · 42–56 days to maturity
Sweet Pea
Swiss Chard · 32–65 days to maturity
Table/Bunch Grape
Tarragon
Thyme
Turnip · 50–60 days to maturity

Warm-season crops to plant now

Artichoke · 120–130 days to maturity
Arugula · 40–60 days to maturity
Basil · 14–75 days to maturity
Bell Pepper · 70–80 days to maturity
Cantaloupe / Muskmelon · 57–90 days to maturity
Cleome (Spider Flower) · 70–80 days to maturity
Cosmos
Cucumber · 50–70 days to maturity
Eggplant · 60–95 days to maturity
Fig
Four O'Clock
Lemongrass
Lima Beans · 65–95 days to maturity
Marigold
Marjoram
Morning Glory
Okra · 55–60 days to maturity
Pole Beans · 60–70 days to maturity
Pumpkin · 100–120 days to maturity
Rosemary
Snap Beans (Bush) · 50–60 days to maturity
Summer Squash · 30–50 days to maturity
Sunflower
Sweet Corn · 60–90 days to maturity
Sweet Potato · 95–150 days to maturity
Tomato · 60–85 days to maturity
Watermelon · 62–85 days to maturity
Winter Squash (Butternut) · 45–100 days to maturity
Zinnia · 56–84 days to maturity
Zucchini · 30–50 days to maturity

Planting-window , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . sources: Clemson Cooperative Extension - Home & Garden Information Center Clemson Cooperative Extension - Home & Garden Information Center Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center Clemson Cooperative Extension - Home & Garden Information Center Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center Clemson Cooperative Extension - Home & Garden Information Center Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center Clemson Cooperative Extension - Home & Garden Information Center Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences - High Tunnels program Colorado State University Extension Colorado State University Extension, Colorado Master Gardener Program Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center University of Illinois Extension University of Illinois Extension Iowa State University Extension - Yard and Garden Iowa State University Extension - Yard and Garden Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (Yard and Garden) Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (Yard and Garden) Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (Yard and Garden FAQ) Iowa State University Extension - Yard and Garden Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (Yard and Garden) Missouri Botanical Garden (Kemper Center for Home Gardening / gardeninghelp.org) University of Missouri Extension Michigan State University Extension NC State Extension NC State Extension NC State Extension Publications NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox Penn State Extension Penn State Extension Purdue Extension (Dept. of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture) University of Florida IFAS Extension - Gardening Solutions University of Maryland Extension University of Minnesota Extension University of Minnesota Extension University of Minnesota Extension University of Minnesota Extension University of Minnesota Extension Utah State University Extension Utah State University Extension Utah State University Extension Utah State University Extension Utah State University Cooperative Extension University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, Horticulture Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University

Planting windows and crop timing here are computed from USDA/NOAA climate data and the university extension sources cited below, not a site visit or soil test. Treat this as a starting point: local conditions vary, and a local nursery or extension office can advise on your exact site. See our full Disclaimer.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Independent