Magnolia Landscape Supply BlogTips, tricks and answers to your frequently asked lawn and garden questions.https://magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips Feature Article: ZAMIA PUMILA https://magnolialandscapesupply.com/FAQs-Tips/PostId/1069/feature-article-zamia-pumilaPalm TreesFri, 10 Mar 2017 19:56:04 GMT<p style="margin-left: -12pt;"><span><strong><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 16px;"></span></strong></span></p> <p style="margin-left: -12pt; text-align: center;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="color: #1d1b10;">&nbsp; &nbsp; contributed by:&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="margin-left: -12pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">&nbsp;FAN AND FEATHER NEWSLETTER</span></p> <p style="margin-left: -12pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Published by the Gulf Coast Chapter of the International Palm Society</span></p> <p style="margin-left: -12pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>SPRING ISSUE * MARCH 2017</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">&nbsp; &nbsp; Feature Article: ZAMIA PUMILA</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 15px; color: #1d1b10;">BY:J Taverniti</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">This issue of Fan and Feather instead of featuring a palm we</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">will be looking at a cycad: Zamia pumila also is listed as Z.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">floridana and commonly known as Coontie. It is the only cycad</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">native to North America, (not counting Mexico) specifically,</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">peninsular Florida and three counties in SE Georgia. It was at</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">one time abundant throughout peninsular Florida but due to it</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">being a source of food for humans and being very slow</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">growing it is not very common presently in the wild.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">The name 'Coontie' actually is derived from the Native</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">American word meaning 'flour root'. Another common name</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">for this plant is 'arrow root', and during the early 1900's it was</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">widely harvested and processed into starch in factories all</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">over South Florida. These factories produced starch from</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Coontie, some of them up to 10 to 15 tons per day. By 1925</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">the once vast populations of Coonties were reduced to a small</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">remnant. In some areas of south Florida there were large</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">colonies especially near what is now Miami and Ft</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Lauderdale. In fact, there were so many in the Ft Lauderdale</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">area that the Indians called this place "Coontie Hatchee".</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">The Seminole moved to Florida in the mid 1700s and used</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">this plant as an important source of food. It was the Seminole</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">who gave us the name 'Coontie' which as stated above,</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">means 'flour root.' They processed the Coontie by cutting up</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">pieces of the root, pounding it nearly to powder, then putting</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">them through several washes, letting the starch sink to the</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">bottom. The resultant paste that formed was fermented, and</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">then dried to a powder and then used to make a flat bread,</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">called Seminole bread. Nowadays, Coontie are rarely</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">consumed for food but rather are appreciated for their value</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">as a landscape plant.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">The hardiness zone range for Coontie is 8B to 11, which</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">encompasses all of Florida, the Gulf Coast and much of the</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">West Coast as well as the most significant population centers</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">of Texas and Arizona. Coontie are best suited for partial</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">shade but do well in full sun. In Florida they are frequently</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">used in low maintenance landscape situation including urban</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">highway medians. This is a rugged but subtle accent plant</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">that boasts a deep green color and unique form. Although a</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">slow grower, Coontie is very tough, drought resistant and easy</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">to maintain. And although it is not a palm, in its low growing</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">profile, its leaf habit suggests a palm look-alike. Speaking of</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">form, with its arching leaves a single Coontie can stand</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">upwards of 3 feet and a colony of suckers can slowly form a</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">mound 5 to 6 feet wide. Coontie do best in soils with</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">moderate to good drainage. Soil pH is not usually a</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">limiting factor, and Coontie are considered to be salt</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">tolerant. The plant stores carbohydrates in a caudex</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">which allows it to survive relatively long periods without</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">water. The caudex also makes it possible to sell bare root</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">plants, which can be a great advantage when shipping</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">long distances Unfortunately, due to its long tap root in</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">mature plants, and the fact that Coontie roots are very</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">sensitive to being disturbed, it is very difficult to dig without</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">damage to the root and transplanting has a low success rate.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Plants should not be dug from the wild, as it will continue to</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">deplete the native population and survival rate is low on</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">these extracted plants. Instead Coontie are readily available</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">from certain nursery outlets and online. Also, Coontie produce</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">an abundant seed crop and individuals can be grown from</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">seed which we'll talk about further along in this article.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Coontie are dioecious plants. The male plants produce</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">cones that emerge in August and shed pollen in</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">November and December. Male cones can be up to 16</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">cm in length and are usually 3-5 cm in diameter.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Female cones emerge at the same time and are</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">rounded and 14 cm in diameter. Female cones are</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">generally shorter and always broader than male cones.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Pollinators for Coontie are two different species of</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">beetle and the wind. At one time there was an</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">extensive planting of Coontie around the Naval Hospital.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">From them, I collected seed and grew the Coontie that I</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">presently have on my property. Unfortunately, all of</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">those Coontie were removed when the hospital grounds</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">were re-landscaped during an expansion project.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Growing your own from seed is the primary way to get</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Coontie. The key to Coontie seed germination is</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">removal of the seed coat residue. The seed coat is</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">thought to inhibit germination. To do this, collect seed</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">from female plants when the seed cone begins to break</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">apart. Soak seed in water for six to eight weeks to</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">soften the seed coat. After this step place the seeds in</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">a bucket 1/4 to 1/2 full of uncleared seed. Add sufficient</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">water to barely cover seed. Use an electric drill</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">equipped with a long shank and a round wire brush to</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">agitate the seeds in the bucket. When the water is thick</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">with seed seed coat residue, empty the bucket into a</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">strainer or onto a wire mesh screen and wash with a</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">stream of water. This may take three or four cycles.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">After seeds are clean they can be planted in community</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">pots to save space as the seeds will germinate</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">erratically over a two year period. Keep the community</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">pots watered to remain moist. As they germinate and</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">attain a little size they can be transplanted to single pots</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">and eventually placed in the ground.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">CAUTION: seeds in community pots should be covered</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">with hardware cloth. I like to cut the wire into a disk that</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">neatly fits into the top of the pot and can also be easily</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">removed. Why do this? Because rats and squirrels like</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">these seeds more than you do and will steal them right</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">out of the pot even though planted under soil.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">There are few pests that bother Coontie. About the only</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">one of significance is Red Scale, which can be controlled</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">with horticultural or dormant oil.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">A close relative of the Coontie is the Cardboard Palm -</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Zamia furfuracea, a species native to Veracruz state of</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">eastern Mexico. Most of us are familiar with this species</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">of Zamia. It is an attractive plant with thick, very stiff</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">leaflets, hence the name cardboard, but is not as cold</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Hardy as the Coontie. That said I have gone winters</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">without it dying back to the ground, but if it dies back it</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">will send leaves up again when the weather warms.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">Unfortunately, specimen plants in the ground rarely</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1d1b10;">attain any significant size due to periodic freeze backs.</span></p>1069