Virginia Tech Dendrology

upland cotton Malvaceae Gossypium hirsitum L. symbol: GOHI
Leaf: Alternate, nearly round with a cordate base; 3 to 5-lobed, with each lobe ending in an pointed tip; margins entire; green to blue-green above and below, usually pubescent, especially below and on the petiole.
Flower: Very attractive and poppy-like, 5 creamy-white to pink petals with purple spots near the anthers, approximately 4 inches across, appearing in July.
Fruit: A round to ovoid, 3 to 5-parted dry capsule (boll), 1 1/2 inch in diameter, splitting at maturity to reveal seeds encased in white fiber (cotton).
Twig: Pubescent and slender, green to red-brown; buds conical and pubescent.
Bark: Green to brown.
Form: A dense rounded woody shrub, to 6 feet, but commonly planted as an annual crop that is much shorter.

Additional Range Information: Gossypium hirsitum is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and may seed into the landscape. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database
All material © 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information