The Coontie and the Atala: A Florida Comeback Story

Some of the best stories in nature are about second chances, and few are sweeter than the tale of a humble Florida plant and the dazzling little butterfly that depends on it. Together, the coontie and the atala butterfly nearly vanished, then came roaring back.

The coontie is Florida’s only native cycad, an ancient, fern-like plant that has changed little since the age of the dinosaurs. For generations, settlers dug it up by the ton because its roots could be ground into a starch called arrowroot. By the early twentieth century, wild coontie had been stripped from much of the state.

That spelled disaster for the atala butterfly, whose caterpillars eat only coontie leaves. As the plant disappeared, the atala all but vanished, and for decades many believed it was gone for good.

Then came the comeback. As Floridians fell in love with native landscaping and began planting coontie in their yards and parks, the atala found its food plant again. Slowly, the jewel-like butterfly returned, its velvety black wings flecked with iridescent blue and its body a vivid orange.

Today the atala flutters once more through South Florida gardens, a living thank-you note to everyone who replanted the coontie. It is proof that with a little care, even a nearly lost piece of wild Florida can find its way home.