Chilean Matorral ecoregion

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Chilean Matorral

RESOLVE 596

The Chilean Matorral — central Chile's Mediterranean-climate shrubland and sclerophyllous woodland belt, running roughly from La Serena south to the Biobío River. One of only five Mediterranean-climate biomes globally; co-evolved with the California chaparral, Cape fynbos, southwestern Australian woodland, and Mediterranean Basin proper. Espino acacia, peumo, quillay, boldo, and litre on the matrix; Chilean wine palm and a rich understory of bulbous geophytes (Alstroemeria, Leucocoryne) round out the flora.

Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 31.4°S, 71.0°W.

Climate snapshot for this ecoregion

°C

°F

Current zone range (2011–2040)

8b-12b

Plotwright

CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.

Projected (2041–2070)

9a-12b

Plotwright

Where the CHELSA models say the typical winter month is heading.

Average warming this ecoregion is on track for: +3.2°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.

• Central Chile is in the middle of a 15+ year megadrought (since ~2010) with strong climate-change attribution; reservoir levels and snowpack are at historical lows.

• Native sclerophyllous species are drought-tolerant by selection but face cumulative multi-year stress; introduced Mediterranean shrubs and grasses outcompete in disturbed matrix.

• Garden-relevant: Chilean natives (Alstroemeria, Leucocoryne, Chilean wine palm, native fuchsia, Embothrium) ship globally; many are excellent additions to Mediterranean-climate garden palettes elsewhere (California, southwestern Australia).

At a glance

States / provinces

Atacama, Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Metropolitana, O'Higgins, Maule, Biobío

Dominant biome

Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands & Scrub

Realm

Neotropic

Approximate area

57,469 sq mi

Elevation range

0 – 6,500 ft

Climate type

Mediterranean (Köppen Csa coast, Csb interior)

Conservation tier

Nature Could Recover (Dinerstein NNH 3)

About the mediterranean forests, woodlands & scrub biome

Regions of hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters supporting drought-adapted shrublands — chaparral, maquis, fynbos — and open woodlands. Fire is a natural shaping force, and these climates hold extraordinary plant diversity and endemism.

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 · 182

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.

Black tupelo (black gum)

Calendula (pot marigold)

Carolina allspice (sweetshrub)

Fragrant plantain lily

Maypop (purple passionflower)

Summersweet (sweet pepperbush)

Tulip tree (yellow poplar)

Currently suited · 84

These plants fit the ecoregion as it is today, but the mid-century projection moves them outside their stated zone range — plan for them to struggle by 2070.

Allegheny blackberry

American basswood

American plum

American red raspberry

Northern maidenhair fern

Short-toothed mountain mint

Collections for this ecoregion

Curated multi-plant collections whose members all fit this ecoregion's zone range — no won't-grow members smuggled in. Overall fit class shown per collection is the weakest link across its members.

Currently suited · 2 plants

Bright shade foundation

A part-shade starting point with shrub structure and low foliage contrast.

Annabelle hydrangea

Coral bells

Currently suited · 8 plants

Climate-resilient natives for warming zones (eastern NA)

A pollinator-supporting palette of eastern NA natives whose USDA zone range and broad continental distribution score high on the climate-resilience composite. Every plant tolerates 6-7 USDA zones and is native across 15+ US states + multiple Canadian provinces. Holds up under the SSP3-7.0 mid-century projection without the gardener trading wildlife value for resilience.

Switchgrass

Little bluestem

Common milkweed

Black-eyed Susan

Wild bergamot

Sweet Joe-Pye weed

Cutleaf coneflower

New England aster

Currently suited · 3 plants

Kitchen patio planters

A compact edible collection for containers, patios, and near-door harvesting.

Genovese basil

Lacinato kale

Coral bells

Currently suited · 6 plants

Mediterranean drought-tolerant edible

A low-water edible palette of culinary herbs + a hardy grape for hot dry sunny sites. Mediterranean-origin plants thrive on neglect; their primary failure mode is overwatering, not underwatering.

English lavender

Rosemary

Garden sage

Oregano

Common thyme

Fox grape

Currently suited · 9 plants

Native pollinator border (eastern US)

A continuous-bloom native pollinator strip for eastern North America. Covers spring through frost with host + nectar plants spanning monarchs, native bees, hummingbirds, and specialist Lepidoptera. Little bluestem provides the matrix grass + Hesperiidae host.