The Central Ranges xeric scrub covers the arid heart of the Australian outback, spanning the Northern Territory, South Australia, and Western Australia across sandy plains broken by rocky highlands such as the MacDonnell Ranges. Its characteristic cover is thick, tough spinifex (Triodia) grassland interspersed with wooded patches of western myall, mulga (Acacia aneura), and desert oak (Acacia coriacea). The climate is hot and dry, though the region receives some rain in both summer and winter. More than 870 plant species have been recorded here, making it a recognized Centre of Plant Diversity, and the ecoregion is reported to hold more species of lizards than anywhere else on Earth; its flagship animal is the black-flanked rock-wallaby. Specialized endemic flora persists in sheltered gorges, including the relict cabbage palms (Livistona) of Palm Valley in Finke Gorge National Park.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 24.5°S, 132.0°E.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
11a-12a
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
11a-12a
Plotwright
Where the CHELSA models say the typical winter month is heading.
Average warming this ecoregion is on track for: +3.7°F by mid-century. SSP3-7.0 (current trajectory) · CHELSA v2.1 bio06 sampled across 10 of 10 points within this ecoregion's bounding box.
At a glance
Dominant biome
Deserts & Xeric Shrublands
Realm
Australasia
Approximate area
111,226 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Could Reach Half Protected (Dinerstein NNH 2)
About the deserts & xeric shrublands biome
Arid and semi-arid lands where low, erratic rainfall and high evaporation limit vegetation to drought-adapted shrubs, succulents, and sparse grasses. Day-to-night temperature swings are large, and life is finely tuned to water scarcity.
Catalog plants suited to this ecoregion
Computed from each plant's stated USDA zone range against this ecoregion's CHELSA-derived current zone range, with the CHELSA mid-century warming delta applied for the projection. Plants whose stated range falls outside both the current and projected zone end up dropped; the rest land in one of the three buckets below.
Climate-resilient picks · 52
These plants fit this ecoregion today AND remain in range under the mid-century SSP3-7.0 projection. Lead with these for a planting that holds up as the climate shifts.
No curated collection's plants all fit this ecoregion's zone range. We surface a collection only when every member would grow here — partial fits get filtered out rather than mislead. As the catalog and the curated set both grow, this section will fill in.
Related ecoregions
Other deserts & xeric shrublands ecoregions to explore: