Coontie Palm, Zamia Pumila

The Coontie palm or botanically Zamia Pumila is a small cycad from the family Zamiaceae and related to the popular cycad known as the Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta). Cycads are the seed plants with a long fossil history and were once a lot more diverse and abundant than they are now. Native to the West Indies, Florida and Cuba, the plant is generally known with its common name –Coontie palm and is the only Zamia species found in the United States.

Characterized by the distinct shape of its reddish or orange seed cones with sharp pointed tips, Coontie palm 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.

Light: Zamia Floridana palm prefers filtered sunlight to partial shade, but it is a hardy plant and can tolerate full sun and cold weather.

Watering: The watering requirements of 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 and preferably organic fertilizer promotes growth and hardiness.