Italian sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests
RESOLVE 795
The Italian Sclerophyllous and Semi-Deciduous Forests cover most of the Italian Peninsula, from southeastern France south to Basilicata, while excluding the higher altitudes of the Apennine Mountains. Its natural vegetation is a mix of evergreen sclerophyllous and deciduous forest typical of the Mediterranean, with evergreen oaks such as holm oak (Quercus ilex) and cork oak (Quercus suber) at lower elevations, deciduous oaks and sweet chestnut at middle elevations, and beech (Fagus sylvatica) on higher ground; maritime, stone, and Aleppo pines mark rocky shores and dunes. The climate is Mediterranean, with hot dry summers and humid, cool winters, and many trees bear leathery evergreen leaves adapted to conserve water through the summer drought. The ecoregion is botanically rich, with thousands of plant species and endemics making up an estimated 10 to 20 percent of the flora, and it shelters notable wildlife including wolves and the flagship Corsican hare. For gardeners, native ornamentals here include bay laurel and the spiny juniper of the understory, alongside the region's renowned orchid diversity.
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.
Collections for this ecoregion
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.