The Cordillera de Mérida páramo is a high-altitude grassland and shrubland ecoregion in western Venezuela, occupying isolated patches above the treeline within the Cordillera de Mérida massif, south of Lake Maracaibo. Its dry páramo is defined by the spectacular giant rosettes of Espeletia (frailejones), alongside tussock grasses, dwarf bamboo, cushion plants, and lichens, with Polylepis woodlands forming an important transition at lower elevations. The climate is alpine tundra, with no month averaging above 10 degrees Celsius, a pronounced dry season, and regular snowfall on the highest peaks. Long isolation has produced high local endemism, especially on the more remote summits, while the endangered spectacled bear and mountain tapir range through its lower portions; the World Wildlife Fund rates the ecoregion as relatively stable and intact, with protected areas including Sierra Nevada and Sierra La Culata National Parks. For gardeners, it is the native home of cold-hardy high-mountain genera such as Espeletia and the Andean rose-relative Polylepis.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 8.8°N, 70.9°W.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
10b-13b
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
11a-13b
Plotwright
Where the CHELSA models say the typical winter month is heading.
Average warming this ecoregion is on track for: +3.9°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
Montane Grasslands & Shrublands
Realm
Neotropic
Approximate area
1,084 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Imperiled (Dinerstein NNH 4)
About the montane grasslands & shrublands biome
High-elevation grasslands, meadows, and shrublands above the treeline or in mountain basins, including alpine and páramo systems. Cool temperatures, intense sunlight, and specialized, often endemic flora characterize them.
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.
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.
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 montane grasslands & shrublands ecoregions to explore: