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

Flower profile

Desert cotton

Gossypium thurberi

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 May–October.

1states
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 May–October. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,304 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #74 among the 109 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist

Desert cotton gift ideas

Handmade desert cotton gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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    Desert cotton art print

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    Desert cotton mug

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When does it bloom?

In Arizona, most flowering sightings come in May–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.

More Arizona flowers

Apricot globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)

Apricot globemallow

Sphaeralcea ambigua

Native

🌼 Blooms in AZ: January–December
Cheeseweed mallow (Malva parviflora)

Cheeseweed mallow

Malva parviflora

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in AZ: January–December
Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea)

Saguaro

Carnegiea gigantea

★ AZ state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in AZ: April–June

Sources