Coonties!

[Looking Glass]

I was picking up rocks at the BB Store, and they had some coonties (Zamia floridana/integrifolia - not sure which one is most appropriate) shoved in a corner.   3g large double plants for $25.   I’ve been thinking about these for a mass planting and edge/border plantings.  They usually run more like $50 for smaller ones at nurseries around here.  I couldn’t resist the loot/bargain.  Grabbed them all.   

I know these may be a little boring for some of you guys, but I wanted a fern-like plant that could take some sun and drought.  Since these are native, they are tough.   I was planning on just sticking them in native soil and fertilizing a little.  

Any pointers?   I’ve never grown them, and the city is using them more as under-plantings, so I’m assuming that the best way to kill them would be doing “too much” not too little.  They are already loaded with Alata Butterfly eggs and caterpillars, so they are taking a little beating right now.  

As always, please post inspirational photos for motivation and ideas!   
 

[Silas_Sancona]

2 minutes ago, Looking Glass said:

I was picking up rocks at the BB Store, and they had some coonties (Zamia floridana/integrifolia - not sure which one is most appropriate) shoved in a corner.   3g large double plants for $25.   I’ve been thinking about these for a mass planting and edge/border plantings.  They usually run more like $50 for smaller ones at nurseries around here.  I couldn’t resist the loot/bargain.  Grabbed them all.   

I know these may be a little boring for some of you guys, but I wanted a fern-like plant that could take some sun and drought.  Since these are native, they are tough.   I was planning on just sticking them in native soil and fertilizing a little.  

Any pointers?   I’ve never grown them, and the city is using them more as under-plantings, so I’m assuming that the best way to kill them would be doing “too much” not too little.  They are already loaded with Alata Butterfly eggs and caterpillars, so they are taking a little beating right now.  

As always, please post inspirational photos for motivation and ideas!   
 

Easy ..and to demonstrate drought tolerance?   they survive here in the desert w/ some afternoon shade,  and just a little extra water through the hottest months.  No special soil or mulchy stuff necessary when planting  ..Plop 'em in the ground,  and let nature do the rest..  Would be nice to see these planted all over Phoenix ..and perhaps sheltered spots in Tucson, rather than Cycas revolta.  Bet they'd look stunning mixed w/ bluer leaved forms of various Dioon sp.  Wish we had the butterflies they attract too!

DBG 8/2016:

[Looking Glass]

56 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Easy ..and to demonstrate drought tolerance?   they survive here in the desert w/ some afternoon shade,  and just a little extra water through the hottest months.  No special soil or mulchy stuff necessary when planting  ..Plop 'em in the ground,  and let nature do the rest..  Would be nice to see these planted all over Phoenix ..and perhaps sheltered spots in Tucson, rather than Cycas revolta.  Bet they'd look stunning mixed w/ bluer leaved forms of various Dioon sp.  Wish we had the butterflies they attract too!

DBG 8/2016:

I don’t know why I like these so much when I see them.  They survive around here with no care, but with just a little care, they look great.   They make a nice understory plant at about 3 feet.   We stayed at a local hotel that had a giant mass planting of these, with irrigation, under some palms and trees.  They looked great, and there was a swarm of Alatas all around them.  

(internet pic)

[amh]

I love coonties; these native cycads should be planted ubiquitously in all of zone 8 and warmer.

Edited June 2, 2022 by amh

[Chester B]

I'm trying them here in Oregon.  We'll see if they can take our wet winters, temps shouldn't be an issue.

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Looking Glass said:

I don’t know why I like these so much when I see them.  They survive around here with no care, but with just a little care, they look great.   They make a nice understory plant at about 3 feet.   We stayed at a local hotel that had a giant mass planting of these, with irrigation, under some palms and trees.  They looked great, and there was a swarm of Alatas all around them.  

(internet pic)

Agree, when i first moved to FL, these were one of the first natives that immediately caught my attention ..and for the same reason..  Cardboards are nice too, but can get massive.  Biggest one i recall seeing is ..or was.. ( if removed )  a specimen planted near the Public Library in Clearwater..  Could see how they can be a bit overwhelming for smaller yards..  ( Not exactly fun to trim either, lol )   ..On the other hand, Coonties fit in perfectly to even the smallest landscape situations.. 

As for Atala, the entire Eumaeus  Genus of Butterflies is spectacular,   even if they are small.  https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/50076-Eumaeus
 

Edited June 2, 2022 by Silas_Sancona
edit

[Looking Glass]

Well, if I can’t grow these well in Fort Lauderdale….   Apparently the immediate area was blanketed in these back in the day, and was a major site of milling the flour from the root.   
The “fort” built by William Lauderdale was built in response to Native American attack and destruction of a mill/ plantation that was decimating their main starch source, and the killing of the owner and his family over another complex dispute.   

“As we approached New River, the land upon our right consisted of the same sandy pine barren as I have already described. The Indian arrow root, called coonte, is found here is great quantities. We landed, and collected several roots, which were very large, weighing several pounds. This is the Indian’s principal bread stuff. It is met with in most of the pine barrens in this section of Florida, but it grows in such profusion in this neighborhood, that they come from considerable distances to procure it.”   -Dr Strobel, 1836.  


Cardboards get massive here, like 9 feet tall and very dense.  One neighbor had 3 guys come and it took them a couple days to remove a mass/hedgerow of them.  My other neighbor has a huge clump.  Little volunteers pop up on the edges of my yard….

Edited June 2, 2022 by Looking Glass

[Merlyn]

Coonties and Cardboards are some of my favorite accent plants, they are basically indestructible as long as you don't plant them in a swamp.  Our local bike path has some mass plantings of coonties in medians and around some of the parking lots.  The landscapers MOW the coonties every winter, I still can't figure out why.  They use a brush hog and just massacre the tops of coonties, small sabals, etc.  This year they did it in January, and a lot of the coonties are just now starting to sprout leaves.  It's really bizarre.

As far as care goes, I just plant and forget.  They are okay in sandy soil and seem happy with nearby sprinklers and with just rainfall.  I haven't tried them in my "tropical bed" that gets drenched every morning, but I'd suspect they would tolerate that too.