Country

Monaco: one ecoregion. Each with its climate now and toward 2050, and its conservation tier.

One ecoregion accounts for Monaco: the Italian sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests, part of the Mediterranean forests, woodlands and scrub biome that lines this stretch of the Ligurian coast. The classification captures the principality's gardening reality exactly: hot, dry, bright summers, mild winters, and a native flora of evergreen sclerophyllous trees and shrubs built to shrug off summer drought. On Monaco's steep, densely built slopes, gardening happens in terraces, courtyards, and containers, and the Mediterranean palette suits all three: olives, evergreen oaks, aromatic shrubs, and succulents that ask little water once established. The mild coastal winters also admit subtropical ornamentals, a liberty the sheltered shoreline position grants. The ecoregion's Nature Imperiled tier is a quiet argument for keeping true Mediterranean natives in the mix.