The Sakhalin Island taiga covers most of Sakhalin, a long, narrow island in the Russian far east that separates the Sea of Okhotsk from the Sea of Japan. Its forest cover shifts with latitude, grading from light larch (Larix) taiga in the north, through dark spruce (Picea) forest in the middle, to fir (Abies) forest dominated by the Sakhalin fir in the south, with birch, alder, and willow in the lowlands. A maritime influence keeps the region somewhat milder than the continental Siberian taiga to the west, though winters are long and freezing and summers short and humid. The island is home to brown bears and is the stronghold of the Sakhalin taimen, a critically endangered salmonid that serves as the ecoregion's flagship species, while extensive oil and gas development poses a growing threat to its flora and fauna. Gardeners may recognize Sakhalin as the native home of dramatic giant meadow herbs, including the towering Cardiocrinum glehnii lily and giant knotweed, which can reach several meters tall.

At a glance

About the boreal forests/taiga biome

The vast northern forest belt of spruce, fir, pine, and larch, defined by long, severe winters and short growing seasons. Often underlain by permafrost and wetlands, the taiga forms one of the world’s largest terrestrial carbon stores.

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.

Collections for this ecoregion

Curated multi-plant collections whose members all fit this ecoregion's zone range — no won't-grow members smuggled in. Overall fit class shown per collection is the weakest link across its members.

Related ecoregions