Coontie

> Plants > Trees and Shrubs > Palms and Cycads > Coontie Coontie Like all cycads, the coontie has ancient origins. But this Florida plant is the only cycad native to the United States. It’s also the preferred food source for larvae of the rare Atala butterfly. The coontie (Zamia integrifolia) looks like a small fern and is typically one to three feet tall. It has stiff, glossy, featherlike leaves attached to a thick, short, underground stem. Florida’s native peoples once ground up these underground stems to create a starchy “flour” for cooking. Don’t try this yourself, though—the stem is toxic unless prepared properly. Because of its high drought tolerance and moderate salt tolerance, the coontie is an excellent choice for the coastal landscape. And it’s cold hardy, too. Coonties can be planted in MENU 4/21/25, 11:53 AM Coontie – Gardening Solutions https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/palms-and-cycads/coontie/ 1/4 Atala butterfly, photo by Patrick Coin sun or shade, and can be used as a specimen plant or in foundation and massed plantings throughout the state. (Note: There is some disagreement to the correct botanical name; while many older University of Florida publications use Zamia floridana, other sources including The Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants use Zamia integrifolia.) Also on Gardening Solutions Blue Butterflies Cycads Tough Plants More from UF/IFAS Atala (Butterfly), Atala Hairstreak, Coontie Hairstreak, Eumaeus atala Röber (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) Florida 4-H Forest Ecology: Coontie Florida Museum Wildflowers and Butterflies: Coontie Florida Plant ID: Coontie, Zamia integrifolia Zamia floridana Coontie 4/21/25, 11:53 AM Coontie – Gardening Solutions https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/palms-and-cycads/coontie/ 2/4 Contact UF/IFAS Center for Land Use Efficiency 2140 NE Waldo Road Bldg. 1603 East Campus PO Box 110675 Gainesville, FL 32609 Site Feedback Our Programs The Center for Land Use Efficiency Agricultural BMP Program Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program The Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program UF/IFAS Extension Agriculture Natural Resources Lawn & Garden Family Resources 4-H Youth Development Web Policy Accessible UF IFAS EEO Statement IFAS Web Policy Privacy UF Analytics (Google Privacy) 4/21/25, 11:53 AM Coontie – Gardening Solutions https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/palms-and-cycads/coontie/ 3/4 © 2024. University of Florida IFAS Extension 4/21/25, 11:53 AM Coontie – Gardening Solutions https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/palms-and-cycads/coontie/ 4/4