Description
Form:
A rounded shrub.
Lifespan:
Perennial.
Leaf retention:
Evergreen in regions without freezes, otherwise deciduous.
Growth rate:
Moderate.
Mature Size:
2-4' high and 5-6' wide.
Flowers:
Large, pale yellow to white petals, forming a cup, with five red dots inside, enclose yellow
stamens at the center.
Bloom:
Spring through fall.
Fruit:
A four-chambered woody pod containing seeds covered with 1/8" long filaments, resembling tiny
cotton balls.
Leaves:
Heart-shaped, glossy green, thick, nearly succulent, with five veins radiating from the base.
Stems:
Sprawling, thick, gray-brown, somewhat brittle, no thorns.
Roots:
Most likely a taproot and many lateral roots, similar to other closely related members.
Wildlife:
The flowers attract butterflies and moths. It is a larval food plant for Painted Lady and
Gray Hairstreak butterflies and several moth species.
Toxic / Danger:
No.
Origin:
Baja California, Mexico.
Cultivation and Uses
USDA hardiness zones:
9b-11. This plant freezes to the ground at 25°F but is root hardy to 20°F.
Heat tolerant:
Yes.
Drought tolerant:
Yes.
Sun:
Full sun. Shade limits plant growth.
Planting:
Place in full sun in a location where cold air does not collect in the winter. Make sure that
the soil drains well, is low in organic content, and unamended.
Soil:
Well drained, dry, low in organic content. This plant is salt tolerant and loves heat and
poor soil. Never apply organic soil amendments and never fertilize.
Water after becoming established:
Deep water every 2-4 weeks in warm months,
allowing for rain. Too much water results in leggy growth. Too little water results in
sparse leaves.
Mulch:
Never. Organic mulch, when rained on, supplies nutrients harmful to the plant.
First Year Care:
Protect from freezing.
Prune:
Remove freeze damage after the danger of frost is past. At other times, minimally trim to
keep in bounds.
Litter:
Low, except for hard freezes.
Propagation:
Seed.
Uses:
Ornamental.
Comments
Gossypium harknessii is a wild cotton and a member of the Mallow family (Malvaceae). It is
related to the domesticated cotton species G. hirsutum – American / Mexican cotton, and
G. barbadense – Egyptian cotton.
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