The South China-Vietnam subtropical evergreen forests stretch across the mountainous coast of southeastern China, including Hainan Island, into northern Vietnam, forming a transitional belt between the tropics of Vietnam and the subtropical forests of southern China. These broadleaf evergreen forests are dominated by a mix of tree species in the Lauraceae, Fagaceae, and Meliaceae families, with characteristic genera such as Castanopsis, Schima, Syzygium, and Cryptocarya. The climate is humid and subtropical with no truly dry months; annual rainfall ranges from about 1,800 mm near Vietnam's Red River Basin to over 2,850 mm farther north in China, and northern areas see cool winters and hot, humid summers. Tropical genera make up roughly 80 percent of the flora, and the region holds high endemism along with notable bird and amphibian diversity, with the critically endangered Chinese pangolin as its flagship species; very little pristine forest now remains. For gardeners, several native genera here, including Schima, Castanopsis, and Syzygium, are grown ornamentally in warm-temperate and subtropical climates.
Marker placed inside the RESOLVE 2017 polygon at 22.5°N, 109.6°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: +3.2°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
Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Realm
Indomalayan
Approximate area
86,601 sq mi
Conservation tier
Nature Imperiled (Dinerstein NNH 4)
About the tropical & subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome
Warm, wet, highly productive forests — including tropical rainforests — with closed canopies, near year-round growing seasons, and the richest terrestrial biodiversity on Earth. Low seasonality and high rainfall sustain dense, layered vegetation from canopy to forest floor.
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 moist broadleaf forests ecoregions to explore: