Country

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

Niue lies within the Tongan tropical moist forests, a small Oceanian ecoregion of tropical moist broadleaf forest totaling only a few hundred square miles across its scattered islands, and listed as Nature Imperiled. On Niue, a raised coral island, that forest grows on limestone rather than volcanic soil, which shapes everything a gardener does: the climate is warm and humid year round, but soil is thin, patchy, and fast-draining, so organic matter and mulch are the working currency. Tropical staples and moisture-loving forest species suit the climate well where soil pockets allow. Because the ecoregion is both tiny and imperiled, Niue's remaining native forest carries outsized weight, and favoring its own trees over aggressive introductions is the most consequential planting decision on the island.