The Nyanga-Chimanimani Montane Forest-Grassland is an Afrotropic ecoregion strung along the mountains of the Zimbabwe-Mozambique border, spanning Zimbabwe's Manicaland Province and Mozambique's Manica Province across the Nyanga (Nyangani), Bvumba, and Chimanimani ranges. The high country, all above roughly 1,000 meters, carries a mosaic of montane grassland and ericaceous and proteaceous shrubland threaded with patches of Afromontane moist evergreen forest in the wetter valleys, with Erica, Protea, and Leucospermum prominent on the open slopes. The climate is strongly seasonal: most rain arrives in the austral summer from about November to April, while the austral winter months are markedly drier. These cool, mist-fed highlands form part of the Afromontane archipelago-like center of endemism and shelter endemic birds such as the Chirinda apalis and Roberts' prinia along with the threatened, flagship Swynnerton's robin, much of it safeguarded within Nyanga and Chimanimani National Parks. For gardeners, the region is the native home of several familiar ornamentals, including heaths (Erica), proteas (Protea), and pincushions (Leucospermum).
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 19.6°S, 32.7°E.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
11b-13a
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
11b-13a
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
Afrotropic
Approximate area
2,984 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.
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: