Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Palm or Cycad
Vegetable
Origin
Caribbean
Central America, Mexico
Types
Wild sago
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
33
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Loamy soils, Sandy areas
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-157-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 21, 22, 23, 24
A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Cushion/Mound-forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
150.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season, Water occasionally
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season, Nitrogen, Requires high amount of nitrogen
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Mealybugs
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate
Flowers
-
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for insects, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
ZAMIA pumila
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Coontie
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Coontie
Mousemelon
In German
Coontie
Maus Melone
In French
coontie
Mousemelon
In Spanish
coontie
Mousemelon
In Greek
Coontie
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Coontie
melão rato
In Polish
Coontie
mysz melona
In Latin
Coontie
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Cycadophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Cycadopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cycadales
Cucurbitales
Family
Zamiaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Zamia
Cucumis
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Zamieae
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Zamioideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
2750
1
27800
👆🏻