I believe I have some sea island cotton growing from seed. The leaves seem to be the same. I looked it up and it appears to be a tree??? Anyone have any experience with these??? I thought it was simply an annual, bloom, get some cotton, then dead plant. Apparently that's not what I have here.
As far as placement I take it it's full sun?? Plant files said it's an evergreen small tree, do I really want this growing in my yard??
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/82273/
Upland cotton/ sea island cotton?
I'm not familiar with it, but if it's the same genus as cotton that is grown in the south for textiles I remember reading that they are susceptible to a virus that can affect plants in the Theaceae Family which include camellias and Franklina trees (I have one). This virus is believed to have caused the extinction of Franklinia alatamaha in the wild.
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This message was edited Apr 28, 2009 5:08 PM
A good description is here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossypium_barbadense
It is different than the cotton grown as a crop here.
From Wiki: It was however soon surpassed in commercial production by another native American species, Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) which today represents about 95% of U.S production.
This plant has antifungal properties and contains the chemical gossypol, making it insect resistant. It is also sometimes used as an anti-fertility drug. In Suriname’s traditional medicine, the leaves of G. barbadense are used to treat hypertension and delayed/irregular menstruation.
It looks like the virii that the cultivated cotton are suceptible to are not carried by the Sea Island Cotton.
I found this http://image.fs.uidaho.edu/vide/famly082.htm#Gossypium%20barbadense
and the different cotton members of Malvacea are there.
See? You ask what time it is and there is always someone who will tell you how the watch is made!
I do think that I want to find one of these barbadense trees! The blooms that it shows in the photos look wonderful! http://twurl.nl/bjcs24
I should have paid better attention to the package. LOL. It was bonus seeds thrown in another trade because I said something about maybe growing cotton. I just figure it was the cotton I see grown around here so I didn't think much of it. It looks cool when it blooms.
Well next year I'll probably have seeds if any one wants some. They germinate really easily, 100% germ rate.
Put me on the list!