Seed Zone WebMap

Seed Zone WebMap

A seed zone is an area where plant materials can be transferred with little risk of being poorly adapted to their new location. The Seed Zone WebMap allows users to acquire data on seed zones that is useful in gene conservation, native plant restoration, and plant material development. 

Please note: Seed Zone WebMap data applies to grass, forb, and shrub species, not trees. 

We have also developed Android and iOS Seed Zone applications for mobile use. For more information, contact Charlie Schrader-Patton, charlie.schrader-patton@usda.gov. 

Seed Zone Map Layers 

Seed zone data has been categorized as provisional, climate-matched, and empirical. 

Provisional Seed Zones 

When no seed transfer guidelines have been established for a specific species, practitioners can default to generalized, "provisional" seed zones that can be applied to any plant species. Zone intervals reflect familiar temperature bands used in USDA plant hardiness zone maps, along with other high-resolution climatic data, to produce 64 provisional seed zones applicable across the continental United States. 

Climate-matched Seed Zones 

Climate data is used to create a "climate similarity index" between two points within a defined area. That index can help predict the relative performance of a species transplanted from one location to another. Climate-matched seed zones are available for five grass and forb species found in the Colorado Plateau region. 

Empirical Seed Zones 

Regression models using common garden studies allowed for the creation of seed zones for species in specified geographic areas.