Mexican Cotton Gossypium hirsutum
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- gu-SIP-ee-um her-SOO-tum
- Description
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Upland Cotton is the most commonly planted agricultural cotton and provides 90% of the world's needs. Cotton-seed oil is obtained from the seeds and used in various cooking products as margarine and cooking oils.
Upland Cotton is an annual to perennial subshrub in the mallow family and can be variable in the way it grows. It usually reaches around 5 feet tall with two kinds of branches, with the fruiting branches producing the flowers and fruits. The large yellow or white cup-shaped flowers appear in July and are followed by the cotton boll which contains the fibers and seeds.
It can tolerate a range of well-drained soils including moderate salt levels. It is grown in full sun and generally cultivated as an annual.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
- 'Burgandy'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
- 'Burgandy'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Gossypium
- Species:
- hirsutum
- Family:
- Malvaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- The plant has been used in herbal medicine
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- North America, South America
- Distribution:
- AL , FL , HI , IL , LA , MA , MD , MO , MS , NC , NJ , PA , SC , TX , VA
- Edibility:
- The seeds can be eaten only if cooked
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Perennial
- Habit/Form:
- Multi-stemmed
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- High
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Green
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- 1.5-2.5 inch round light green capsule that matures to brown. Around 36 seeds inside with both long and short fibers. It is called a cotton boll.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Head
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Cup
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- 6-8 large white or yellow cup-shaped flowers with 5 petals on fertile branches.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Cordate
- Leaf Margin:
- Lobed
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Green leaves are cordate and alternate with 3-5 lobes and 3-6 inches long and wide.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
