Bloomipedia
Desert cotton (Gossypium thurberi)
Photo: Katja Schulz via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Desert cotton

Gossypium thurberi

Desert cotton (Gossypium thurberi) is a shrub or small tree in the Malvaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly September–October across the U.S.

Native to Arizona

Desert cotton is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Arizona it's most often seen in bloom in September–October.

1states where USDA records it
1,304AZ sightings*
1,307U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Arizona

Quick look

Gossypium thurberi, also known as Arizona wild cotton, Thurber's cotton, or desert cotton, is a wild species of cotton.

  • It belongs to the Malvaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 1 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Arizona. NatureServe
  • In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in September–October. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,304 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #74 among the 132 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In Arizona, most flowering sightings come in September–October.

Flowering records by month in Arizona (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (111 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
Arizona
Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arizona. AAC R3-3 App. A
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records desert cotton in 1 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona.

Arizona counties with USDA records: Cochise, Graham, Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Thurberia thespesioides.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 7 counties across 1 states; the most are in Arizona (7).

Other Gossypium on Bloomipedia (1): Ma'o.

More from the Malvaceae family (29 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Turk's cap, Common hibiscus, Swamp rose mallow, Velvetleaf, Dwarf mallow, Apricot globemallow, Checkerbloom, Scarlet globemallow.

More Arizona flowers

Cheeseweed mallow (Malva parviflora)

Cheeseweed mallow

Malva parviflora

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in AZ
Apricot globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)

Apricot globemallow

Sphaeralcea ambigua

Native

🌼 Blooms in AZ: March–April
Tropical hibiscus (Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis)

Tropical hibiscus

Hibiscus × rosa-sinensis

🌷 Flowering shrub

🌷 Grown in Arizona gardens

Sources