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Coontie

Zamia integrifolia

Coontie (Zamia integrifolia)

Also known as: Florida Arrowroot

Florida’s only native cycad — a tough, low rosette of stiff, glossy, fern-like fronds from an underground stem, bearing cones rather than flowers. Exceptionally drought- and shade-tolerant and the sole larval host of the rare atala butterfly. The starchy root was processed into "Florida arrowroot," but all parts are toxic raw.

Family
Zamiaceae
Type
shrub
Lifespan
perennial
Height
1–3 ft
Spacing
2–4 ft apart
Light
sun, part shade, shade
Soil moisture
dry, moist
Soil pH
acidic, neutral, alkaline
Bloom
March, April
Bloom colors
brown
Wildlife value
butterflies, larval host
Landscape uses
groundcover, border, container
Native states
FL