Native Plant Garden Tour
About the Tour
A SoCal Tradition in Bloom
Next Tour: April 11 & 12, 2026
Since 2004, the Theodore Payne Foundation Annual Native Plant Garden Tour has been a celebration of creativity, community, and the power of California native plants. This two-day, self-guided tour showcases inspiring landscapes across Greater Los Angeles, offering a unique look into how native plants can transform gardens, neighborhoods, and lives.
The tour features a diverse range of public and private spaces—from coastal container gardens to urban homesteads, lush pollinator havens to hillside restorations.
Each garden is a living example of what’s possible when beauty meets ecological purpose. All featured gardens include at least 50% California native plants and reflect a range of styles, sizes, and site conditions.
More Than a Tour: It's a Movement
The Garden Tour is one of the Theodore Payne Foundation’s most beloved public programs, helping to advance our mission: to inspire and educate Southern Californians about the beauty and ecological benefits of California native plants.
With more than 700 gardens featured since its founding, the tour continues to grow a vibrant community of homeowners, designers, educators, and everyday advocates working together to build a greener, healthier future—one native plant at a time.
Photo: Rio Asch Phoenix/The Hello Yarrow House
Photo: Evan Hursley/Glass & Hursley Garden
A Garden Tour Like No Other
Unlike traditional walking tours, this is a choose-your-own-adventure experience.
Gardens are divided across two days, with each location open from 10 AM to 5 PM on its designated day.
We recommend visiting 4–7 gardens per day for a relaxed, enriching experience. However, ambitious attendees may choose to visit more—we number the gardens in each region to help you plan an efficient route.
You may only visit gardens on the day they are open and during official tour hours. Please respect the generous hosts by not visiting their garden uninvited, outside of the tour. Jump to Garden Tour Etiquette.
It Takes a Community:
Tour Timeline & How to Get Involved
The Native Plant Garden Tour is a celebration made possible by the many people who come together each year—garden hosts, sponsors, volunteer docents, and attendees—all united by a shared commitment to native plants and ecological beauty.
Here’s How the Tour Comes to Life Each Year:
Each year, gardeners, designers, and native plant stewards generously open their landscapes to the community by applying for the tour. Every application is a gift—helping us shape the tour’s route, reflect a diversity of styles and stories, and inspire thousands of visitors across Los Angeles. We’re deeply grateful for each submission.
The Garden Tour is a large-scale event that requires year-round planning, coordination, and care—and it simply wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. Their funding helps provide the foundation for everything from printed materials and logistics to volunteer support and public outreach. Sponsorship is not just appreciated—it’s essential.
It takes nearly 100 dedicated docents to help the tour run smoothly—and we couldn’t do it without them. These generous volunteers bring each garden to life by welcoming guests, answering questions, and supporting hosts throughout the day. Their time, care, and enthusiasm make the tour experience personal, meaningful, and memorable for thousands of visitors.
Interested in volunteering? Visit theodorepayne.org/volunteer to sign up.
Each year, curious, passionate, and supportive individuals purchase tickets to explore native plant gardens across Los Angeles. Their participation fuels the success of the tour, spreads awareness, and directly supports our mission to make native plant landscapes the norm. We’re incredibly grateful for every ticket holder who joins us in celebrating beauty, biodiversity, and community.
Tickets pre-sales are available online beginning in January. Mail delivery and in-person sales typically begin in mid-March to ensure arrival before the tour weekend.
Theodore Payne Foundation Members get a host of benefits, including discounts on Garden Tour tickets and more. Read more about becoming a member here.
Together, we create a joyful, inspiring event that brings native plant gardening to life across Los Angeles.
We hope you’ll be part of it!
Garden Tour Etiquette
Stay on marked walkways and paths, and do not enter areas that the hosts have not opened to tour goers.
Do not collect seeds or cuttings.
The tour is smoke free. Use of tobacco or other products is prohibited.
We love your furry friends, but pets are not permitted on the tour.
Photos taken on the tour are for personal use only. For public use inquiries, please contact us.
When parking, obey all traffic signs and please be sensitive to neighbors.
Explore Past Tours
Questions?
Contact us by emailing gardentour@theodorepayne.org or give us a call at 818-768-1802.