Zacatonal is found above 3500 meters elevation on the volcanoes Popocatépetl, Iztaccihuatl, Malinche, Nevado de Toluca, Cofre de Perote, Pico de Tancítaro, and Pico de Orizaba.Brown, David E., and Markings, Elizabeth (2014). "A Guide to North American Grasslands" Desert Plants, Volume 29, Number 2, 2014. Zacatonal is surrounded by the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt pine-oak forests ecoregion at lower elevations.
