The Tibetan Plateau alpine shrublands and meadows ecoregion lies entirely within China, stretching roughly 1,500 km across the central Tibetan Plateau from the Yarlung Tsangpo (Tsangpo) river valley near Lhasa northeast to the Qilian Mountains of Gansu, almost all of it above 4,000 m. Its vegetation grades from moist alpine sedge meadows dominated by Kobresia and Carex (including black spike sedge) in the southeast toward drier alpine steppe in the northwest, with juniper and dwarf rhododendron on sheltered north-facing slopes and shrubs such as Potentilla fruticosa, Caragana, and dwarf willow in the valleys. The climate is harsh and continental: the annual mean temperature is below freezing everywhere and even the warmest month averages only 8 to 10 degrees Celsius. The meadows sustain large native mammals such as Tibetan gazelle, kiang (Tibetan wild ass), white-lipped (Thorold's) deer, and bharal (blue sheep), with snow leopard, wolf, and brown bear reported as likely predators, though these populations are declining under pressure from intensified livestock grazing and wild yak is now gone from all but the remotest corners. For cold-climate gardeners, the region's native shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa), Caragana, juniper, and rhododendron are familiar hardy ornamentals.

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