Flower profile

Velvetleaf

Abutilon theophrasti

Introduced in the lower 48

Velvetleaf is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in July–October.

48states

5of our state lists

17,019U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska

🚫

Regulated invasive plant in Iowa. It's on that state' official invasive plant list (Iowa: Secondary noxious weed). Please don't plant or share it there. ^{Iowa Code § 317.1A}

Quick look

Abutilon theophrasti, also known as velvetleaf, velvet plant, velvetweed and the Chinese jute, is an annual plant in the family Malvaceae that is native to Central and East Asia. It is the type species of the genus Abutilon. Its specific epithet, theophrasti, commemorates the ancient Greek botanist-philosopher Theophrastus.
From Wikipedia's article Abutilon theophrasti, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Malvaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 48 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as not native to Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska. ^NatureServe
In Illinois, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–October. ^iNaturalist
In Indiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–October. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,116 research-grade sightings of it in Illinois, ranking #90 among the 109 flowers on our Illinois list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 833 research-grade sightings of it in Indiana, ranking #91 among the 109 flowers on our Indiana list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 643 research-grade sightings of it in Iowa, ranking #43 among the 109 flowers on our Iowa list. ^iNaturalist

State flower gift ideas

This one is a regulated invasive plant, so here are state flower gifts instead.

🌱 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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State flower print
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Birth-flower necklace
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Wildflower seed favors
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Botanical tea towel
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Pressed-flower frame
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Flower-garden mug
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (467 records)

Bloom time in each of our 5 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Illinois	Introduced	July–October	2,116
Indiana	Introduced	June–October	833
Iowa	Introduced	few records	643
Kansas	Introduced	few records	423
Nebraska	Introduced	few records	346

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe
Illinois: Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Illinois. ^{IL E&T checklist 2025}
Indiana: No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Indiana.
Iowa: Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Iowa. ^{IAC 571-77.3}
Kansas: No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Kansas.
Nebraska: Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Nebraska. ^{163 NAC 4-004}
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 page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 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 velvetleaf in 48 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming; District of Columbia.

Illinois counties with USDA records: Adams, Alexander, Bond, Boone, Calhoun, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clinton, Coles, Cook, Crawford, Cumberland, De Witt, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Fulton, Gallatin, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jackson, Jefferson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lawrence, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, Massac, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Richland, Saline, Sangamon, Scott, Shelby, St. Clair, Stephenson, Tazewell, Union, Vermilion, Washington, Wayne, Whiteside, Will, Williamson, Winnebago, Woodford.

Indiana counties with USDA records: Adams, Allen, Blackford, Carroll, Clinton, Delaware, Fayette, Fountain, Gibson, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Huntington, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Lake, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Noble, Parke, Perry, Putnam, Rush, Shelby, Spencer, St. Joseph, Sullivan, Switzerland, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Vanderburgh, Vigo, Warren, Wayne, Wells, White.

Iowa counties with USDA records: Guthrie, Harrison, Mills, Taylor, Winneshiek, Woodbury.

More Illinois flowers

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Scarlet globemallow

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Winecup mallow

Callirhoe involucrata

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Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ABTH.
iNaturalist, Abutilon theophrasti: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Abutilon theophrasti (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Illinois: Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist.
Illinois: Illinois Official List of Exotic Weeds (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1100.30, Illinois Exotic Weed Act).
Indiana: Indiana prohibited invasive terrestrial plants (312 IAC 18-3-25).
Iowa: Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3).
Iowa: Iowa noxious weeds (Iowa Code § 317.1A).
Kansas: Kansas noxious weeds (K.A.R. 4-8-44, as amended 2026).
Nebraska: Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004).
Nebraska: Nebraska noxious weeds (25 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 10, § 001.02).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Abutilon theophrasti (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Summit Metro Parks via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.