Mt. Lemmon Cotton Gossypium thurberi

Desert Cotton is a deciduous shrub in the cotton family native to desert areas of Arizona and Mexico and is found in rocky canyons and slopes in riparian areas, grasslands, and oak woodlands up to 6,000 feet in elevation. The plant can grow up to 10 feet in height with pale yellow flowers and attractive foliage that turns maroon in winter. The plant attracts pollinators and is a host plant for butterflies and moths.

Desert cotton grows best in full sun but tolerates light shade and needs sandy well-drained soil. It flowers in the early summer and again in early fall. Small cotton bolls follow the flowers but produce too little cotton to be used commercially. The leaves are similar to other mallow plants with a soft downy texture.  The soil must remain dry through the winter months to ensure survival through spring.

This attractive plant can be used in an arid landscape as a large shrub or small tree and is available to purchase in Arizona. Pruning can be done in late spring for frost damage or any time to shape.

In the 1930s it was thought that the plant hosted the boll weevil and attempts were made to eradicate it. However, it was learned that it does not and the plant has fortunately survived.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Susceptible to the pink bollworm