The feather-like, light green, leathery foliage of Coontie emerges from a large underground storage root in the early years before a trunk develops forming a colony of suckers that will slowly grow into mounds 5 tot6 ft wide. The evergreen leaves are fine in texture and resemble fern leaves. Coontie's unique growth habit is ideally suited for use as a specimen or container planting and is a great addition to the urban garden.