# Coontie (*Zamia integrifolia*) Coontie is a special plant that looks like a small palm tree. It has shiny green leaves and grows in warm places. This plant is very important for some animals and helps keep nature healthy. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Coastal areas ![Coontie](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Zamia_integrifolia02.jpg&width=800) Photo: CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zamia_integrifolia02.jpg) ## Appearance The Coontie has stiff, dark green, fern-like leaves that grow in a circular crown from a short, often underground stem. It produces distinct cone-like structures, with the female cones having bright orange-red seeds when mature. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Cycadopsida - **Order:** Cycadales - **Family:** Zamiaceae - **Genus:** Zamia ## Interesting facts - Coontie is Florida's only native cycad, a group of plants older than dinosaurs! - Female Coontie cones produce bright orange-red seeds that look like berries, but are poisonous! - Its name comes from a Native American word for 'flour' or 'bread' because of how it was prepared. - Some tiny beetles are the only insects that can pollinate the Coontie plant! ## Special abilities - **Living Fossil:** Coontie is a living fossil, a plant from an ancient group that has changed little over millions of years, helping scientists learn about prehistoric Earth. - **Toxic Shield:** Coontie has toxic compounds in its leaves and roots that protect it from most hungry animals, making it a well-defended plant. - **Drought Master:** Coontie can store water in its thick, often underground stem, which helps it survive long dry periods in sandy, sun-baked environments. - **Nitrogen Helper:** Coontie has tiny bacteria living in its roots that can pull nitrogen from the air, acting like natural fertilizer for the plant. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 50-100 cm - **Spread:** 50-100 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** High - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Atala butterfly (*Eumaeus atala*) — Its caterpillars feed exclusively on Coontie leaves. - **Pollinates:** Coontie cycad weevil (*Rhopalotria slossoni*) — This small beetle is a primary pollinator of Coontie cones. - **Eaten by:** [Human](https://www.snappit.app/explore/human) (*Homo sapiens*) — Historically, Indigenous peoples processed its root for flour. - **Symbiotic with:** Nitrogen-fixing bacterium (*Azotobacter chroococcum*) — It helps Coontie get nutrients from the soil through its roots. ## Traits - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Ancient Lineage](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ancient-lineage): This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Threatened](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/threatened): Threatened status denotes a species likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future without effective conservation interventions. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Do not eat any part of the plant without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Coontie? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Coontie? 50-100 cm ### How wide does Coontie spread? 50-100 cm ### When does Coontie bloom? Spring to summer ### Is Coontie edible? No ### Is Coontie toxic? High ### What is Coontie's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is Coontie pollinated? Insect ## Where to spot - [Downtown Miami Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/downtown-miami-historic-district) — US · Historic District - [Fruit and Spice Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fruit-and-spice-park) — Florida, US · Botanical Garden - [Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area at Flagler Beach](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gamble-rogers-memorial-state-recreation-area-at-flagler-beach) — Florida, US · State Park - [Matanzas State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/matanzas-state-forest) — Florida, US · Forest - [Vizcaya Museum and Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/vizcaya-museum-and-gardens) — Florida, US · Botanical Garden - [Miami Seaquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/miami-seaquarium) — US · Aquarium [View all places to see Coontie](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/coontie) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Coontie: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coontie)