6 low water, beautiful bloomers that are optimal for growing in San Diego County
(This article originally appeared in the Jan 10, 2026 edition of the San Diego U-T.) The UC Master Gardener Hotline often gets calls with questions like, “I saw a tree covered in beautiful flowers. Can you tell me what it is? Is it easy to grow?”
Below is a list of waterwise trees that bloom spectacularly in Southern California.
Floss silk tree, Ceiba speciosa, (formerly Chorisia speciosa)
For years, I thought of my floss silk tree as my holiday tree — it started producing its 6-inch-wide, bright-pink flowers after Halloween when it was still covered in vibrant green leaves; its last flowers appeared by New Year’s on leafless branches. As the tree has gotten older, it produces flowers for even longer — from mid-October to mid-January. So now it’s my extended holiday tree?…