Coontie Palm – Zamia integrifolia (Florida-Native Cycad, Atala Butterfly Host, Live Plant)

The Coontie Palm (Zamia integrifolia) is a tough, beautiful Florida native with an ancient pedigree. It is actually a cycad, the only one native to the continental United States, and a relative of plants that grew before the dinosaurs. Despite the palm nickname, it forms a low, mounding clump of stiff, arching, glossy dark green fronds that give a lush, palm-like or fern-like look. As a result, slow-growing, evergreen, and nearly indestructible once established, the Coontie Palm is also the sole host plant for the rare Atala butterfly, making it a standout choice for native and wildlife gardens.

Why Grow a Coontie Palm?

• Florida native & butterfly host – the only larval host plant for the rare Atala butterfly, so planting it helps bring this beautiful native back.
• Tough as nails – exceptionally drought-tolerant and salt-tolerant, thriving in heat, poor soils, and tough spots where little else grows.
• Evergreen, low-maintenance form – glossy, palm-like fronds give year-round structure with almost no care or pruning needed.
• Sun or shade – also adapts to everything from filtered shade to full sun.
• A living antique – especially prized as an ancient cycad and a great native alternative to the overused, non-native sago palm.

Looking for more tough natives and structure plants? Browse our Outdoor Plants and Groundcovers & Border Plants collections.

Plant Specifications at a Glance

• Botanical name: Zamia integrifolia (also known as Zamia floridana / Zamia pumila)
• Plant type: Evergreen, palm-like cycad (slow-growing, clump-forming perennial)
• Plant family: Zamiaceae (the cycad family)
• Mature size: generally under 3 feet tall and about 3–5 feet wide, forming a low mound
• Foliage: Stiff, arching, glossy dark green pinnate (frond-like) leaves
• Cones & seeds: Dioecious — mature female plants produce cones that reveal shiny orange-red seeds in autumn
• Notable traits: Florida native; Atala butterfly host; salt-, drought-, and heat-tolerant; deer-resistant
• Cold Hardiness Zones: 8–11 (one of the most cold-hardy cycads)

Coontie Palm Care & Growing Guide

The coontie is famously easy and tough. Follow these guidelines:

• Sunlight: Very adaptable, anything from partial shade to full sun. Specifically, filtered light to part shade is ideal, though it handles full sun once established.
• Water: Water regularly through the first growing season to establish a strong root system, then back off. It is extremely drought-tolerant and dislikes wet feet, so let the soil dry between waterings.
• Soil: Well-drained, sandy soil (acidic to neutral). Importantly, good drainage is essential to protect the underground stem from rot.
• Cold Hardiness Zone: 8–11. In a hard freeze it may drop leaves and go dormant, then flush back out from its tough underground stem.
• Feeding: Feed with a slow-release fertilizer as new growth begins in spring. In addition, trimming is rarely needed.

Important – toxicity: like all cycads, every part of the coontie contains cycasin and is toxic to people, dogs, cats, and horses if eaten. Native Americans once made an edible Florida arrowroot starch from the root, but only after extensive processing to remove the toxin, so do not attempt this. Therefore, keep pets and children from chewing on the plant or seeds.

Ways to Use Coontie Palm in the Landscape

This tough native cycad anchors low-water, wildlife-friendly designs. Popular uses for the Coontie Palm include:

• Florida native and Atala butterfly gardens (plant in groups)
• Also foundation plantings, borders, and edging
• Mass plantings and tough, low-water groundcover
• Similarly, coastal and xeriscape landscapes, plus understory beneath trees
• Containers and specimen accents, as a native alternative to sago palm

It pairs beautifully with other Florida natives and tough plants. For example, gardeners often combine it with the native Dune Sunflower, the native Wax Myrtle, or the yellow-flowered Golden Glory Ornamental Peanut.

What You’ll Receive

This is a live Coontie Palm starter plant, grown and shipped by Carlo’s Plant Farm. Each plant is less than 12 inches tall when we ship it. The listing photos show mature plants of the same species. That way, you can see how yours will look as they grow. Finally, choose your preferred bundle size using the options above.

Also, due to different state laws, we reserve the right to charge extra fees where necessary to comply.

Ordering, Shipping & Returns

Every order ships free and is insured against loss or damage in transit. For full details on how we pack and send your plants, processing and delivery times, and what to do in the rare case of a problem, please review our Shipping Policy and Terms & Conditions before purchasing. By placing an order, you agree to those terms.

Coontie Palm FAQ

Growing & Care Questions

Safety, Hardiness & Shipping Questions