The Southeast Tibet shrublands and meadows blanket the southeastern and eastern margins of the Tibetan Plateau, reaching across the Tibet Autonomous Region, western and northern Sichuan, southern and eastern Qinghai, and southern Gansu in China, with mountain ranges running from the Nyainqentanglha in the southwest to the Qilian in the northeast. Below about 4,500 meters the landscape is dominated by widespread Kobresia sedge meadows and moist alpine shrublands, interwoven with genera such as Rhododendron in dwarfed alpine form, Primula, Pedicularis (lousewort), Potentilla, and Meconopsis poppies, while juniper takes over as conditions dry out northwestward. Lying in the path of the East Asian monsoon, the region is wetter than the rest of the plateau, with summer rains greening the meadows after dry, brown winters. Deep river gorges of the Lancang (Mekong) and Jinsha (Upper Yangtze) dissect the terrain, and the ecoregion is noted for remarkably high plant species richness and supports wildlife including snow leopard, blue sheep, and white-lipped deer. For gardeners, several signature ornamental genera are native here, including Rhododendron, Primula, Meconopsis, and Gentian.

At a glance

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.

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