Desert Cotton
Gossypium thurberi
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Details & Attributes
| Plant Type(s) | Shrub |
| Native to Arizona | Yes! |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Sun | Full sun, partial shade |
| Pollinators | Butterflies, moths, bees |
| Has Spines | No |
| Size In relative feet, width by height |
5-10' × 4-8' |
| Flowering Season | August-November |
| Flower Color | White/pink |
| Minimum Temperature Range | 20-25 °F |
| Leaf Description | Three lobed to palmate (arranged like a palm) |
| Fruit | 3-chambered globe-like capsule |
| View on SEINet | View SEINet Entry |
| Range Map | View SEINet Range Map |
| Elevation Range | 2500-8000 ft. |
| Description | Found mostly in southern Arizona, this plant can be quite abundant in the grasslands surrounding sky island ranges. Particularly fond of hillsides, and well draining soils, it is not ideal to plant into heavy, compacted dirt. In habitat plants are generally about 3-5' but can easily reach 7+ in cultivation, becoming a large shrub to small tree. This plant is notable for its gorgeous and profuse white/pink blossoms, and its persistant 3-capsuled seed pods. One attractive feature of this plant is that, though deciduous (drops leaves in winter), it is one of the only desert plants which takes on a red coloration to the foliage in fall. |
