Coontie Zamia integrifolia
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Palmifolium floridanum
- Zamia dentata
- Zamia floridana
- Zamia humilis
- Phonetic Spelling
- ZAM-ee-uh in-teg-ree-FOH-lee-uh
- This plant has medium severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Consisting of 60 species, Zamia is a varied genus of the cycad family found in Florida, Caribbean area and tropical South America. Zamia integrifolia L.f. (Z. floridana) is a shrub-like herb with a fleshy underground stem. In the US it is native to the States of Florida and Georgia. It prefers well-drained, sandy, moist soils with or without organic matter though it does grow better in more nutrient-dense soils. It is drought tolerant and tolerates salt spray.
This small ancient cycad supports an endangered butterfly so planting it in mass as a groundcover will help this butterfly though the plants may suffer from larval feeding. They often recover nicely. The fleshy seed coat must be removed to start germination. Stem cuttings from the underground fleshy stem can be used to create new plants.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Zamia
- Species:
- integrifolia
- Family:
- Zamiaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- A source of starch for Native Americans. Also used as an ingredient in Animal Crackers.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Root Cutting
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Georgia to Florida, Bahamas, Cuba, Cayman Islands
- Wildlife Value:
- Larval host for atala butterfly (Eumaeus atala florida) and the echo moth (Sierarctia echo).
- Edibility:
- Processed flour made from the root is not toxic and is made into bread and spaghetti.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Ground Cover
- Poisonous
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Arching
- Clumping
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10b, 10a, 11b, 11a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Orange
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- Dioecious plants. Male cones are thin. Female cones are broad, erect 3'-6' tall with fleshy, orange-yellow or reddish seeds 1/2"-1" long.
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Flowers:
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Flower Description:
- non-flowering
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leathery
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Other/more complex
- Rosulate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Linear
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Fern-like pinnately divided leaves 10"-50" long with 5-30 leaflets.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Stem-less
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Coastal
- Container
- Naturalized Area
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Poor Soil
- Salt
- Problems:
- Poisonous to Humans
- Problem for Cats
- Problem for Dogs
- Problem for Horses
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Medium
- Poison Symptoms:
- Vomiting (may be bloody), dark stools, headache, stomach pain, jaundice, increased thirst, bloody diarrhea, bruising, liver failure, death. 1-2 seeds can be fatal.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Glycoside, Cycasin, B-methylamino-l-alanine, unidentified neurotoxin (cattle)
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Sap/Juice
- Seeds
- Stems
