Jalisco dry forests
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The Jalisco dry forests stretch along Mexico's Pacific coast through the states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, and Michoacan, part of the Neotropic realm's tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests. These are multi-layered deciduous forests whose canopy trees, reaching roughly 15 to 30 meters, include genera such as Bursera, fig (Ficus), Mexican mahogany (Swietenia), Calophyllum, and Cordia, with columnar cacti like Pachycereus and Stenocereus and coastal palms also prominent. The climate is tropical and subhumid, delivering about 730 to 1,200 mm of rain concentrated in a summer rainy season, after which most trees drop their leaves through a pronounced dry season. The ecoregion is exceptionally rich, hosting roughly 1,200 plant species of which about 16% are endemic, and its flagship animal is the Mexican parrotlet; reserves such as Chamela-Cuixmala protect some of this habitat, though much of the original forest has been lost. For gardeners in dry, frost-free climates, the native Bursera and Ficus genera offer drought-adapted, sculptural options.
About the tropical & subtropical dry broadleaf forests biome
Tropical forests that pass through a pronounced dry season, when many trees drop their leaves to conserve water. They hold high biodiversity but are among the most threatened tropical habitats, sensitive to fire and to clearing for agriculture.
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.