Jardín Mediterráneo de Flora nativa de Ñuble

Located on the La Castilla Campus of the University of Bío-Bío (UBB) in Chillán, central Chile, the Mediterranean Garden of Native Flora of Ñuble is a living classroom and conservation space dedicated to representing the native and endemic flora of Chile’s Mediterranean region. The arboretum covers approximately 1,500 m² and integrates teaching, research, and community outreach within the University’s Faculty of Education and Humanities. Its main objective is to conserve representative species of Chile’s Mediterranean ecosystems while promoting environmental education and biodiversity awareness.

The collection currently includes 40 native and endemic species, comprising trees, shrubs, and herbs of ecological and conservation importance, including several threatened species such as Nothofagus alessandrii (Nothofagaceae), Nothofagus glauca (Nothofagaceae), Citronella mucronata (Cardiopteridaceae), Pitavia punctata (Rutaceae), Aextoxicon punctatum (Aextoxicaceae), Araucaria araucana (Araucariaceae), and Prumnopitys andina (Podocarpaceae). It also features medicinal and culturally significant trees such as Quillaja saponaria (Quillajaceae), Peumus boldus (Monimiaceae), Ugni molinae (Myrtaceae), Cryptocarya alba (Lauraceae), and Drimys winteri (Winteraceae), the sacred tree of the Mapuche people.

In addition, the arboretum hosts a diverse collection of geophytes and herbaceous species typical of Mediterranean landscapes, including Phycella australis, Zephyranthes monantha, Trichopetalum plumosum, Chloraea gavilu, Leucocoryne alliacea, and two Alstroemeria species. The garden thus serves as a microcosm of central Chile’s biodiversity and as a living laboratory for students, researchers, and the wider community.