The Coontie - Northern Florida's Answer to the Sago

Ever seen a picture of a beautiful mature sago palm?  They are so impressive!  Have you ever seen a beautiful one in northern Florida?  Only the ones for sale in garden shops.  What happens when we plant them here?  They suffer from cold damage and end up blighted from disease.  Truly pitiful.  Yet every homeowner thinks their landscape would not be complete without one.  Tisk-tisk. If you want to grow a sago, move to southern Florida.

Up here we have our own native son version of the sago.  It doesn't get as big, but it is a beautiful edging plant that is extremely hardy.  It's the coontie.   Explore the rest of this article by clicking the Read More link below.

Local Farms Come to You!

Help support our local growers and get a taste of hometown freshness at a market.  Here's a list of good selections for buying safe produce and products produced locally.  Not all markets are organic, but these markets host vendors that have licenses to operate, unlike some roadside stands that COULD be here-today-gone-tomorrow and MIGHT sell dubious produce.  Our old standby the County Road 210 market has been tabled but you can check their website to see if they'll hold an event in the future.  Click the Read More link below for the local venues that sell in northwest St. Johns County.