The coontie plant (Zamia Pumila), also known as coontie fern, is a small cycad from the family Zamiaceae and related to the popular cycad known as the Sago palm (Cycas revoluta).
For those who do not know, cycads are seed plants with a long fossil history and were once a lot more diverse and abundant than they are now.
Zamia Pumila is named after its genus Zamia because it was its very first species to be described; such plants are called ‘type species.’
The second part of the plant’s scientific name – pumila – means small or dwarf, which refers to its size.
Native plants to the West Indies, Florida, and Cuba, the plant is generally known by its common name –coontie palm and is the only Zamia species found in the United States.
This South Florida native plant is the only cycad native to North America.
It is also sometimes referred to as Zamia floridana.
Zamia pumila is also often confused with Zamia integrifolia, but the two are different Zamia species.
There is some disagreement with the correct botanical name; many University of Florida publications use Zamia floridana, while others, such as The Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants, use Zamia pumila.
Other common names include:
- Coontie palm
- Zamia coontie
- Seminole bread
- Comfort root
- Florida arrowroot
- Cootie Fern
Check out the other Zamia – Cardboard palm
Coontie Palm Care
coontie palm Size & Growth
Characterized by the distinct shape of its reddish or orange seed cones with sharp pointed tips, the Coontie cycad is a low-growing evergreen plant and is often subterranean.
However, sometimes it does produce a trunk, but it doesn’t grow high and remains between 1” to 6” inches tall.
The coontie palm growth rate is moderate and typically reaches up to 3’ to 3.5’ feet in height and can have a spread of 4’ to 5’ feet.
Upon maturity, the plant forms a multi-branched cluster with long compound green leaves and a large tuberous root system.
Each frond of the pumila plant is about 2’ to 3’ feet long and can have anywhere from 5 to 20 pairs of leaflets.
The leaflets are linear or oblong and feature distinctive teeth at their tips.
The green leaflets are also often revolute, i.e. curled back, and have prickly petioles.
The coontie grows well in any part of Florida. It makes a great potted bonsai plant and is a nice addition to coastal landscapes near the Gulf or a bay.
Flowering and Fragrance
Coontie palm cycads is a gymnosperm and does not produce flowers or cootie palm fruit.
But, it is dioecious and has elongated to ovoid female cones and cylindrical-shaped male cones.
The female cones tend to be slightly bigger, and male cones are often clustered.
The female plants cones contain coontie palm seeds, which get a beautiful bright orange color when ripened.
Light & Temperature
This Zamia floridana palm prefers filtered sunlight to part shade, but it is a hardy plant and can tolerate full sun and cold weather.
What is the Coontie Palm Cold Hardiness?
The floridana is cold-hardy to USDA zones 8b to 11. The coontie is salt, drought, and cold tolerant.
Watering and Feeding
The watering requirements of this zamia species are low, and the plant is also highly drought tolerant.
However, keep a normal water schedule for the first growing season to develop a healthy root system.
Feeding the plant with a granular, preferably organic, fertilizer promotes growth and cold hardiness.
While a granular fertilizer is preferred, using a water-soluble fertilizer is OK.
Early spring and late fall are the best times to fertilize a zamia pumila plant.
Fertilizing should be avoided immediately after transplanting and in hot summer months.
When buying fertilizer for coontie plants, always buy a good-quality one because low-quality fertilizers often contain heavy salts, which damage the plant’s roots and can lead to plant death.
Soil & Transplanting
Zamia pumila cycads can grow in a variety of habitats provided they are planted in sand or sandy loam well-draining soils.
It also enjoys moist soil but can tolerate the lack of moisture.
However, make sure not to leave the plant in soil that is too dry or wet for extended periods of time.
After transplanting, use a layer of mulch to help keep the plant upright.
Grooming and Maintenance
Since this Zamia species is hardy and can easily adapt to different growing conditions, it is easy to grow and requires little care.
How to Propagate Zamia Pumila
Coontie cycad zamia floridana is propagated from seeds.
Here’s how to grow coontie from seed:
Collect the seeds when they get ripe, clean them to remove their sticky covering, and spread them on the ground.
Cover them with a thin layer of soil or leaves, and they will germinate in about six weeks.
Coontie Palm Problems
The plant generally remains disease-free but can have plant scale infestations, which need to be treated, or they would cause serious damage to the plant.
Cycad Aulacaspis Scale (Aulacaspis yasumatsui)
Aulacaspis yasumatsui commonly known as cycad aulacaspis scale is a small, white armored scale insect.
The pest is native to Thailand. The scale was first found in the US in landscapes of upscale homes along Cutler Road in Miami in 1996. [source]
Aulacaspis scale infests cycads and can cause significant plant damage. The crawlers (newly hatched scales) infest the trunk and base of the leaves. The scale can cause yellowing fronds, wilting, and eventual plant death. [source].
Controlling Cycad Aulacaspis Scale: Recommended Tips
- Prune and throw away infested plant material
- Wash the plant with a high-pressure hose or insecticidal soap.
- Another option is to apply a systemic insecticide.
- Check the plant regularly for any signs of infestation
- Take action as soon as possible to prevent further damage.
Coontie palm is known for the toxin called cycasin. The toxin is poisonous for both humans and pets and affects the nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract.
The toxin, however, is removed through the process of leaching.
Certain insects, such as belid weevils, act as pollinators of the plant, whereas many feed upon it.
Eumaeus Atala, a butterfly species commonly known as the Atala butterfly, uses the toxin of zamia pumila for its own defense.
Related: Check out Sago Palm White Scale | Coffee Grounds On (Cycad) Sago Palm disease or pests
Coontie Palm Uses
Coontie palm is a popular choice for growing on borders and as a mass planting groundcover.
It also grows well as an understory plant. Many research facilities use it as a specimen plant.
While the plant is not native to Florida, it is commonly cultivated there in landscape plantings, mixed with palm species or other evergreen plants.
Native Americans, such as the Seminole Indians, use the half-buried stems or caudex and roots of coontie palm to extract a type of starch, previously known as Florida arrowroot.