The Namaqualand-Richtersveld Steppe is an Afrotropic desert and xeric shrubland that runs down the western coast of Namibia from Lüderitz into the northwestern corner of South Africa's Northern Cape, reaching the Orange River. It is described as the world's only entirely arid plant hotspot, dominated by succulent flora from the families Mesembryanthemaceae, Crassulaceae, and Aloaceae, and crowned by the quiver tree (Aloidendron dichotomum), or kokerboom, alongside the Nama-revered halfmens (Pachypodium namaquanum). This is a winter-rainfall region where the meager precipitation is supplemented by heavy dewfalls and coastal fog, with mild temperatures and only rare frosts. Despite the harsh climate, the ecoregion supports roughly 355 endemic plant species and three endemic plant genera, and part of the Richtersveld was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 for its cultural and botanical significance. For gardeners in dry, mild-winter climates, its native succulents and architectural genera such as Aloidendron, Pachypodium, and Crassula are prized ornamental and drought-tolerant plants.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 29.2°S, 17.2°E.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
11a-12b
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
11a-13a
Plotwright
Where the CHELSA models say the typical winter month is heading.
Average warming this ecoregion is on track for: +2.9°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
Deserts & Xeric Shrublands
Realm
Afrotropic
Approximate area
20,433 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: