Tree cotton
Gossypium arboreum
Spun into cloth at Mehrgarh and Mohenjo-daro thousands of years ago; grow it as an annual where frost comes.
Hardiness: zones 8 to 12
Light: full sun
Size: about 5 ft tall, 3 ft wide
Harvest: July to September
From: Indus Valley and India
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: pollinators.
Native to: South & Southeast Asian tropics, Sahara & Arabian deserts. Hardy in zones 8 to 12.
The story
Tree cotton was among the first plants spun into cloth. Cotton fibres were found with a copper bead in a grave at Mehrgarh, Pakistan, about 6000 BC, and the cities of the Indus Valley wove cotton by 2500 BC. Indian cottons later clothed much of the world.
Planting
Full sun, warm drained soil and a long hot summer. Start seed indoors 4 to 6 weeks before warm weather, or sow outdoors when the soil is above 65°F.
Growing
Water through dry spells and give it a sunny, sheltered spot. Grow it as an annual where frost comes; in frost-free places it becomes a shrub.
Harvest and use
Pick the white bolls when they split open on a dry day. Pull out the seeds, then card and spin the fibre. The flowers feed bees.
What to watch for
Not a food plant: the seed is toxic raw. Bollworms and aphids.
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More helper plants for soil, wildlife and biomass
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home