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Cottons (Gossypium)
Cottons are a genus of flowering plant that grows in tropical and subtropical regions. It is harvested for cotton, which is a staple of modern human fiber production. It also is used as an oilseed crop and to feed animals. Its scientific name Gossypium derives from the Arabic word goz, meaning soft substance. It is one of the oldest cultivated plants with an age of 5000 years. 
Lifespan
Perennial
Key Facts About Cottons
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Attributes of Cottons
Leaf type
Semi-evergreen
Scientific Classification of Cottons
Distribution of Cottons
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Distribution Map of Cottons
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
How to Grow and Care for Cottons
Feedback
Cottons, commonly referred to as cotton plants, require full sun, moderate watering, warm temperatures and well-drained, nutrient-rich soil for optimal growth. Key challenges include pests like aphids and cotton bollworms, and diseases such as cotton root rot and Verticillium wilt. Maintaining good air circulation and soil moisture balance can help manage these issues. Seasonally, ensure sufficient warmth, light and water during the growing season (spring and summer), and reduce watering while maintaining temperature in the cooler months (autumn and winter).
How to Water Cottons?
What Are the Sunlight Requirements for Cottons?
How to Propagate Cottons?
How to Plant Cottons?
Exploring the Cottons Plants
Feedback
8 most common species：
Levant cotton
Levant cotton is a perennial shrub native to Africa and Arabia. Its seed pods burst open, revealing heads full of cotton fibers. This fiber is used for spinning and is then made into textiles and clothing.
Upland Cotton
Upland Cotton (*Gossypium hirsutum*) is the most commonly planted agricultural cotton. An annual to perennial shrub whose large yellow to white cup-shaped flowers bloom in summer. Flowers are replaced by the cotton boll which contains the cotton fiber and about 36 seeds. Grows best in full sun and in clay sandy or loamy well-drained soil.
Sturt's desert rose
Sturt's desert rose is a woody, perennial shrub well-adapted to arid environments. Its silver-green leaves reflect sunlight, conserving moisture, while the plant's deep root system seeks groundwater. The vibrant, hibiscus-like flowers, ranging from yellow to pink with red centers, give way to seed capsules with valuable, cotton-like fibers, uniquely suiting sturt's desert rose to its dry habitat.
Gossypium aridum
Gossypium aridum is a rugged species adapted to dry environments, characterized by its shrubby form and broad, palmate leaves. The distinctive yellow-petaled flowers with a crimson spot at the base give way to globular seed pods. These bolls boast a bounty of seeds ensconced in a soft, cottony fiber, crucial for its reproduction and significant in its identification.
Gossypium harknessii
Gossypium harknessii is a perennial shrub recognized for its showy yellow flowers and distinctive large, hairy leaves. This wild cotton species thrives in semi-arid conditions, hinting at its drought-resistant attributes. The plant's stout stature and branching habit are adaptations to its native coastal climes where sandy soils prevail.
Thurber's cotton
Thurber's cotton is a perennial shrub indigenous to arid regions, notable for its drought resilience. The plant typically displays broad, heart-shaped leaves and bears yellow flowers with a deep purple center, distinctive in their vibrant contrast. Its cotton-bearing capacity is a defining trait, with small, round bolls that split to reveal white, fibrous internals, crucial for both its reproduction and human textile use.
Hawai'ian cotton
Hawai'ian cotton is a perennial shrub native to the Hawaiian Islands, thriving in sunny, dry conditions. It's distinguished by its heart-shaped leaves with a furry texture and yellow flowers with a deep purple center. The plant's cottony seed capsules contribute to its resilience, aiding in seed dispersal. Adapted to its island habitat, hawai'ian cotton provides critical ecosystem support.
Gossypium darwinii
Gossypium darwinii is a species of cotton plant hailing from the Galápagos Islands, displaying small yellowish flowers that nestle among broad, heart-shaped leaves. Adapted to a harsh, isolated environment, its robust nature allows it to withstand salinity and drought. The seeds of gossypium darwinii are enclosed in a unique, beaked capsule, which opens up to expose fluffy, white fibers, crucial for its dispersal.
More Popular Genus
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Dracaena
Dracaena are popular house plants that are easy to grow. They can tolerate low-light conditions and require little watering. Their leaves range from variegated to dark green. Their characteristic traits include woody stems that grow slowly but offer a striking appearance for small spaces such as apartments or offices.
Fig trees
Fig trees have been cultivated in many regions for their fruits, particularly the common fig, F. carica. Most of the species have edible fruits, although the common fig is the only one of commercial value. Fig trees are also important food sources for wildlife in the tropics, including monkeys, bats, and insects.
Brambles
Brambles are members of the rose family, and there are hundreds of different types to be found throughout the European countryside. They have been culturally significant for centuries; Christian folklore stories hold that when the devil was thrown from heaven, he landed on a bramble bush. Their vigorous growth habit can tangle into native plants and take over.
Maples
The popular tree family known as maples change the color of their leaves in the fall. Many cultural traditions encourage people to watch the colors change, such as momijigari in Japan. Maples popular options for bonsai art. Alternately, their sap is used to create maple syrup.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of flowering fruit trees that includes almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. These are often known as "stone fruits" because their pits are large seeds or "stones." When prunus trees are damaged, they exhibit "gummosis," a condition in which the tree's gum (similar to sap) is secreted to the bark to help heal external wounds.
Nightshades
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Roses
Most species of roses are shrubs or climbing plants that have showy flowers and sharp thorns. They are commonly cultivated for cut flowers or as ornamental plants in gardens due to their attractive appearance, pleasant fragrance, and cultural significance in many countries. The rose hips (fruits) can also be used in jams and teas.
Oaks
Oaks are among the world's longest-lived trees, sometimes growing for over 1,000 years! The oldest known oak tree is in the southern United States and is over 1,500 years old. Oaks produce an exceedingly popular type of wood which is used to make different products, from furniture and flooring to wine barrels and even cosmetic creams.
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About
Key Facts
Distribution
How To Care
All Species
More Genus
Cottons
Gossypium
Cottons are a genus of flowering plant that grows in tropical and subtropical regions. It is harvested for cotton, which is a staple of modern human fiber production. It also is used as an oilseed crop and to feed animals. Its scientific name Gossypium derives from the Arabic word goz, meaning soft substance. It is one of the oldest cultivated plants with an age of 5000 years.
Lifespan
Perennial
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Key Facts About Cottons
Feedback
Attributes of Cottons
Leaf type
Semi-evergreen
Scientific Classification of Cottons
Distribution of Cottons
Feedback
Distribution Map of Cottons
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
How to Grow and Care for Cottons
Feedback
Cottons, commonly referred to as cotton plants, require full sun, moderate watering, warm temperatures and well-drained, nutrient-rich soil for optimal growth. Key challenges include pests like aphids and cotton bollworms, and diseases such as cotton root rot and Verticillium wilt. Maintaining good air circulation and soil moisture balance can help manage these issues. Seasonally, ensure sufficient warmth, light and water during the growing season (spring and summer), and reduce watering while maintaining temperature in the cooler months (autumn and winter).
How to Water Cottons?
What Are the Sunlight Requirements for Cottons?
How to Propagate Cottons?
How to Plant Cottons?
Exploring the Cottons Plants
Feedback
8 most common species：
Levant cotton
Levant cotton is a perennial shrub native to Africa and Arabia. Its seed pods burst open, revealing heads full of cotton fibers. This fiber is used for spinning and is then made into textiles and clothing.
Upland Cotton
Upland Cotton (*Gossypium hirsutum*) is the most commonly planted agricultural cotton. An annual to perennial shrub whose large yellow to white cup-shaped flowers bloom in summer. Flowers are replaced by the cotton boll which contains the cotton fiber and about 36 seeds. Grows best in full sun and in clay sandy or loamy well-drained soil.
Sturt's desert rose
Sturt's desert rose is a woody, perennial shrub well-adapted to arid environments. Its silver-green leaves reflect sunlight, conserving moisture, while the plant's deep root system seeks groundwater. The vibrant, hibiscus-like flowers, ranging from yellow to pink with red centers, give way to seed capsules with valuable, cotton-like fibers, uniquely suiting sturt's desert rose to its dry habitat.
Gossypium aridum
Gossypium aridum is a rugged species adapted to dry environments, characterized by its shrubby form and broad, palmate leaves. The distinctive yellow-petaled flowers with a crimson spot at the base give way to globular seed pods. These bolls boast a bounty of seeds ensconced in a soft, cottony fiber, crucial for its reproduction and significant in its identification.
Show More Species
More Popular Genus
Feedback
Dracaena
Dracaena are popular house plants that are easy to grow. They can tolerate low-light conditions and require little watering. Their leaves range from variegated to dark green. Their characteristic traits include woody stems that grow slowly but offer a striking appearance for small spaces such as apartments or offices.
Fig trees
Fig trees have been cultivated in many regions for their fruits, particularly the common fig, F. carica. Most of the species have edible fruits, although the common fig is the only one of commercial value. Fig trees are also important food sources for wildlife in the tropics, including monkeys, bats, and insects.
Brambles
Brambles are members of the rose family, and there are hundreds of different types to be found throughout the European countryside. They have been culturally significant for centuries; Christian folklore stories hold that when the devil was thrown from heaven, he landed on a bramble bush. Their vigorous growth habit can tangle into native plants and take over.
Maples
The popular tree family known as maples change the color of their leaves in the fall. Many cultural traditions encourage people to watch the colors change, such as momijigari in Japan. Maples popular options for bonsai art. Alternately, their sap is used to create maple syrup.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of flowering fruit trees that includes almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. These are often known as "stone fruits" because their pits are large seeds or "stones." When prunus trees are damaged, they exhibit "gummosis," a condition in which the tree's gum (similar to sap) is secreted to the bark to help heal external wounds.
Nightshades
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Roses
Most species of roses are shrubs or climbing plants that have showy flowers and sharp thorns. They are commonly cultivated for cut flowers or as ornamental plants in gardens due to their attractive appearance, pleasant fragrance, and cultural significance in many countries. The rose hips (fruits) can also be used in jams and teas.
Oaks
Oaks are among the world's longest-lived trees, sometimes growing for over 1,000 years! The oldest known oak tree is in the southern United States and is over 1,500 years old. Oaks produce an exceedingly popular type of wood which is used to make different products, from furniture and flooring to wine barrels and even cosmetic creams.
Your Ultimate Guide to Plants
Identify grow and nurture the better way!
17,000 local species +400,000 global species studied
Nearly 5 years of research
80+ scholars in botany and gardening
Continue reading in our app - it's better
A database of 400000+ plants
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
