The Northern Pacific Alaskan coastal forests cover the Southeast Alaska panhandle, Kodiak, and a thin coastal strip along the Gulf of Alaska — the temperate-rainforest band west of the St. Elias and Wrangell ranges. Sitka spruce and western hemlock dominate the canopy; the Tongass National Forest covers most of the ecoregion and is the largest temperate rainforest in the world. Maritime moderation, abundant precipitation (~150-200 in / year on the wettest coasts), and glacier-shaped fjords define the landscape.

At a glance

About the temperate conifer forests biome

Temperate forests dominated by evergreen conifers, from coastal rainforests to montane pine and fir stands. Adapted to cool, moist or seasonally dry climates, they include some of the tallest and longest-lived trees on the planet.

What's native here

Catalog plants whose Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center native-distribution range overlaps the 2-state/province roster for this ecoregion. Distinct from the “suited” section below — these are plants that belong here, not just plants that will grow here.

Grain caveat: native here means “native to at least one state / province this ecoregion crosses,” not necessarily native to this ecoregion's specific habitat. A plant tied to wet meadows that crosses Ontario will surface for any Ontario-spanning ecoregion. Finer per-ecoregion native-status data is a future arc.

Catalog plants suited to this ecoregion

Computed from each plant's stated USDA zone range against this ecoregion's NRCan Plant Hardiness Zone 1981-2010 GeoTIFF published current zone range, with the CHELSA mid-century warming delta applied for the projection. Plants whose stated range falls outside both the current and projected zone end up dropped; the rest land in one of the three buckets below.

Wildlife your native plants here support

Collections for this ecoregion

Curated multi-plant collections whose members all fit this ecoregion's zone range — no won't-grow members smuggled in. Overall fit class shown per collection is the weakest link across its members.

Related ecoregions