This week’s native plant is Coontie (Zamia integrifolia), an evergreen shrub that has become a popular addition to many Florida gardens and landscapes. Coontie are slow-growing and long-lived, typically growing 3 feet wide and about 3 feet to 5 feet tall.

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Coontie can be planted in sun or shade in well drained soils, and are moderately salt tolerant. They are intolerant of very moist soils, so should be planted in well-draining, drier areas.

Typically, coontie are found within hardwood forests, sandy pinelands, and coastal hammocks. 

“While they may look like a palm or fern, coontie are actually cycads — an ancient group of vascular plants that have been around for hundreds of millions of years,” said SCCF Native Landscapes & Garden Center Assistant Sophie Carpenter. “Because of this, they are often referred to as ‘living fossils.’”

Like all cycads, coontie are dioecious, meaning they have separate male and female plants. 

“Because cycads actually evolved before bees and other winged pollinators, they don’t produce flowers that would typically attract them — instead coontie produce cones,” Carpenter said. “Male plants produce pollen filled cones that are reportedly pollinated by beetles, and female plants produce brightly colored seeds that attract a wide range of wildlife, including birds, and small mammals.”

All parts of coontie are toxic to humans and other animals, including pets.

Coontie are also the larval host plant for the Atala butterfly (Eumaeus atala), which was once believed to be extinct due to the over-harvesting of coontie. However, both species have rebounded with conservation efforts and the growing popularity of coontie in landscaping.

“Coontie contain a toxin known as cycasin that Atala caterpillars are able to consume and incorporate into their bodies making them toxic to many predators,” Carpenter said. “In addition, the droppings from the caterpillars help fertilize the coontie, making for an interesting mutualistic relationship!”

Although all parts of coontie are toxic to humans, the tubers were traditionally harvested by native Americans and early settlers. If properly prepared, the tubers can be used to make flour.

Purchase or learn more about coontie at SCCF’s Native Landscapes & Garden Center, open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday at 1300 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL.

For more information:

• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=zapu
• Conservancy of Southwest Florida: https://conservancy.org/atala-butterfly-and-the-coontie-plant-a-mutualistic-relationship/
• Florida Wildflower Foundation: https://www.flawildflowers.org/know-your-native-pollinators-atala/