This ecoregion forms a narrow green band along the southeastern Arabian Peninsula, spanning eastern Yemen and southern Oman's Dhofar Governorate where coastal mountains slope toward the Arabian Sea. Its signature habitat is deciduous fog woodland and shrubland, dominated by trees such as Terminalia (formerly Anogeissus), Vachellia, and Commiphora, alongside shrubs including wild olive (Olea europaea), Dodonaea viscosa, and Carissa spinarum. The defining climate feature is the khareef, the summer southwest monsoon from June to September, whose moisture-laden winds rise against steep escarpments to produce orographic precipitation and dense ground fog that sustains woodland in an otherwise arid setting. The region is also home to Boswellia sacra, the tree tapped for aromatic frankincense, and serves as a refuge for the Critically Endangered Arabian leopard, its flagship species. For gardeners drawn to drought-adapted natives, the area's succulent flora includes ornamental genera such as Aloe, Adenium, and Euphorbia.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 14.8°N, 49.2°E.
Climate snapshot for this ecoregion
°C
°F
Current zone range (2011–2040)
12a-13b
Plotwright
CHELSA-derived typical winter month at this ecoregion's bbox grid.
Projected (2041–2070)
12a-13b
Plotwright
Where the CHELSA models say the typical winter month is heading.
Average warming this ecoregion is on track for: +4.3°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.
About the tropical & subtropical grasslands, savannas & shrublands biome
Warm grasslands and savannas where grasses dominate and trees are scattered, maintained by seasonal rainfall, grazing, and fire. They support large herbivore communities and respond sharply to wet–dry cycles.
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 · 4
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 tropical & subtropical grasslands, savannas & shrublands ecoregions to explore: