What grows in Riverside County is a two-part answer, because this is a place defined by contrast.

Drive across the county, and you’ll see it shift in real time: from the palm-lined groves of the Coachella Valley to the vineyard-covered hills of Temecula. That split geography is what makes Riverside County one of California’s most diverse agricultural regions.

On the eastern side, the Coachella Valley’s intense desert heat supports dates, citrus, sweet peppers, early-season table grapes, and winter vegetables – all irrigated by the Coachella Canal and set in one of the most reliably hot growing climates in North America. 

Head west, and the landscape and agriculture change completely. The Temecula Valley and Inland Empire experience cooler nights and higher elevations. It is home to wine grapes, avocados, nursery crops, native plants, and leafy greens.

Together, these two regions create a county where dramatically different crops thrive within a single growing system, one rooted in both desert extremes and Mediterranean balance. Here is a look at the primary crops grown in Riverside County.

Dates in Riverside County: America’s Date Capital

The Coachella Valley produces over 90% of the dates grown commercially in the United States. Climate is the reason. Dates need roughly 2,400 hours of 100-degree-plus heat to fully mature. That works out to about 100 days of 100-degree weather across five or six months. The Coachella Valley is one of the very few places on the continent that consistently delivers it.

Medjool and Deglet Noor are the dominant commercial varieties. The specialty side of the industry is extraordinary: Barhi, Zahidi, Halawi, Khadrawy, the ancient Kudrari and Derry, and a long library of seedling varieties unique to specific growers. Flying Disc Ranch in Thermal alone grows more than 30 distinct varieties, many named by Robert Lower and his family, from Fat Albert to Luscious Lorraine to the unnamed “brown honeys” a customer once christened the Root Beer date.

Most Coachella Valley dates are harvested from mid-September through Thanksgiving and finished in commercial driers. Permaculture operations like Flying Disc Ranch ripen every date on the tree and hand-pack everything on the farm.

Citrus in Riverside County: Birthplace of California Citrus

Riverside is the birthplace of the California citrus industry. The Parent Washington navel orange at the corner of Magnolia and Arlington Avenues still stands, still bears fruit, and is still the genetic ancestor of nearly every commercial Washington navel grown in the state.

Today, Riverside County grows Washington navels, Valencias, Cara Caras, blood oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, pomelos, lemons, and specialty citrus lines. Riverside proper and the surrounding inland corridor still ship heritage-quality fruit to farmers’ markets, restaurants, and natural-food grocers. Bernard Ranch in Riverside supplies citrus to Bay Area retailers like Bi-Rite and to high-end restaurants, including Cheeky’s and F10 Hospitality kitchens in Palm Springs.

Adjacent citrus acreage in the Coachella Valley produces grapefruit and lemons that move throughout the country via distributors, farmers’ markets, and direct-to-consumer channels.

Table Grapes in Riverside County: The First U.S. Harvest

Coachella Valley table grapes are the first commercial U.S. grape harvest of the year. Most years, the first Coachella table grapes move into supermarkets in May, well ahead of the much larger San Joaquin Valley harvest that takes over in July. For about a six-week window, the valley owns the grape aisle in American grocery stores.

The Coachella Valley’s advantage is the same advantage that makes the region a date capital: early heat. Vines wake up in January and February, bloom in March, and set fruit well ahead of most other domestic growing regions. Flame Seedless, Perlette, Sugraone, and a rotating set of proprietary cultivars dominate the valley’s table-grape acreage.

Winter Vegetables in Riverside County

The Coachella Valley is also a significant producer of winter vegetables and fresh herbs. Bell peppers, chilis, leaf lettuce, spinach, cilantro, basil, mint, rosemary, and mixed salad greens grow here during the same November-to-April window that drives the Imperial Valley winter harvest to the south.

Many of these crops are farmed on a smaller, more direct-to-consumer scale than their Imperial Valley counterparts, feeding Coachella Valley farmers markets, local Palm Springs restaurants, and high-end regional distributors.

Wine Grapes in Riverside County (Temecula Valley AVA)

Drive an hour west from Palm Springs, and the agriculture changes completely. Temecula Valley sits at a higher elevation with cooler nights, making it one of Southern California’s most established wine-grape regions. The Temecula Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) was designated in 1984 and now includes more than 40 bonded wineries and thousands of planted acres.

Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache, Tempranillo, and Sangiovese all grow well here. Temecula Valley wineries have become a significant agritourism destination, drawing weekend visitors from San Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange County.

Avocados and Nursery Crops in Riverside County

The west side of Riverside County also grows avocados, ornamental nursery stock, and native California plants. Greenbelt Growers is a father-daughter nursery in Riverside. It has become one of the region’s leading producers of native plants used in LEED-certified buildings, fire-wise landscaping, and water-conscious home gardens. 

Demand for native plants has grown sharply in California as fire mitigation and drought-tolerant landscaping have moved from trend to mandate. Between avocado groves, landscape nurseries, and specialty native-plant operations, western Riverside County quietly supports a significant horticultural economy alongside its food crops.

Plan Your Riverside County Agriculture Visit

Wondering what grows in Riverside County and how to see Riverside County’s agriculture? Plan a three-stop day in the Coachella Valley: cactus and desert plants at Moorten Botanical Garden in Palm Springs and a farm-to-table meal at Cheeky’s or Birba. Add the Parent Washington Navel Tree and the California Citrus State Historic Park in Riverside for a longer loop and consider a west-side day in Temecula for wineries and avocado country.

For more on the region, see what grows in Imperial County and more than 15 activities to do in Palm Springs and Riverside County. Browse additional CA GROWN grower profiles on the blog or plan your next stop at Experience California Agriculture.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Riverside County Agriculture

What is Riverside County’s largest agricultural crop?

Dates and table grapes are the Coachella Valley’s highest-profile crops and among the county’s most valuable. Wine grapes in the Temecula Valley AVA are a major specialty crop on the west side. Ornamental nursery stock and citrus also rank among the county’s top commodities by farm gate value.

Why are Riverside County dates so well-known?

The Coachella Valley’s consistent summer heat, cold-winter dormancy, and low humidity create one of the only U.S. climates suited to commercial date production. The valley produces close to 90% of U.S. dates and is home to specialty operations that grow more than 30 varieties, including the Medjool, Deglet Noor, Barhi, Zahidi, Kudrari, and Derry.

Where is Riverside County’s wine region?

Temecula Valley in western Riverside County is the county’s wine region. The Temecula Valley AVA includes more than 40 wineries growing Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Viognier, Grenache, and other warm-climate varietals. It is a major Southern California agritourism destination.

When do Coachella Valley grapes and dates come into season?

Table grapes: May through June is the main Coachella Valley window, before San Joaquin Valley grapes take over for the rest of the year. Dates: commercial harvest runs from mid-September through late November, with some specialty varieties extending earlier or later.

This article was written by CA GROWN Content Creator Aida Mollenkamp, and images from Salt & Wind.