Desert Cotton

Gossypium thurberi

Gossypium thurberi, commonly known as Thurber’s cotton, is a perennial shrub native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Recognizable by its distinctive cotton-like fibers, it produces yellow flowers and has lobed leaves.

This drought-tolerant plant thrives in arid environments, contributing to the region’s unique flora. While not commercially significant like other cotton species, it plays a role in local ecosystems, providing habitat and food for wildlife in desert areas.

Flowers: J F M A M J J A S O N D
Status: Native
Origin: Rocky hillsides from 2500-8000 ft in Arizona and Sonora
Family: Malvaceae (Mallow Family)
Size: 4′ wide x 10′ tall
Sun: Full to shade
Watering: Moderate
Growth Rate: Moderate
Soil: Tolerant
Temperature: Hardy to 15 F
Pruning:
Disease and Pests:
Uses: Host for Gray Hairstreak, Painted Lady and many moth species
Notes: Deciduous

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