EPA Ecoregions · Levels I–IV
What ecoregion do you live in?
Enter a US zip code to see the nested ecoregions it falls in — from continent-scale biome down to local landform — using EPA's Level III/IV Ecoregions dataset, plus a sample of native plants recommended for that ecoregion. Useful for matching seed sourcing and planting guidance to where you actually are.
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Where this data comes from
Zip → coordinates: a public US zip-centroid table (USPS/Census-derived).
Coordinates → ecoregion: each zip centroid was matched against the EPA's Level III & IV Ecoregions of the Continental United States dataset, using Omernik's ecoregion framework, and bundled into this page — so lookups work instantly with no network round trip.
Coverage is the continental US only — Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and other territories aren't in this layer. A zip right on a boundary (a ridge, a river, a basin edge) can occasionally land on the neighboring region's side, since each zip is represented by a single centroid point.
Native plant picks: the FHWA Ecoregional Revegetation Application (ERA)'s curated "workhorse" plant lists, one per Level III ecoregion, compiled by Mark W. Skinner from USDA PLANTS data. Each ecoregion's full workhorse list runs far longer; this page highlights a sun/moisture/pollinator-diverse sample of it — not planting advice on its own.
Where to buy seed: a hand-picked list of regional native-seed growers, nurseries and co-ops — currently covering 65 of the 85 Level III ecoregions in the continental US. Not a comprehensive directory, and inclusion isn't an endorsement beyond "this group grows regional ecotype seed." Tell us about a source we're missing and we'll add it.
Coordinates → ecoregion: each zip centroid was matched against the EPA's Level III & IV Ecoregions of the Continental United States dataset, using Omernik's ecoregion framework, and bundled into this page — so lookups work instantly with no network round trip.
Coverage is the continental US only — Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and other territories aren't in this layer. A zip right on a boundary (a ridge, a river, a basin edge) can occasionally land on the neighboring region's side, since each zip is represented by a single centroid point.
Native plant picks: the FHWA Ecoregional Revegetation Application (ERA)'s curated "workhorse" plant lists, one per Level III ecoregion, compiled by Mark W. Skinner from USDA PLANTS data. Each ecoregion's full workhorse list runs far longer; this page highlights a sun/moisture/pollinator-diverse sample of it — not planting advice on its own.
Where to buy seed: a hand-picked list of regional native-seed growers, nurseries and co-ops — currently covering 65 of the 85 Level III ecoregions in the continental US. Not a comprehensive directory, and inclusion isn't an endorsement beyond "this group grows regional ecotype seed." Tell us about a source we're missing and we'll add it.
See the full Level III ecoregion map
Level III Ecoregions of the Continental United States — U.S. EPA, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory. For the full-resolution 30×23" version, see EPA's PDF map.