States
North CarolinaTennesseeGeorgiaSouth CarolinaKentuckyAlabamaArkansasFloridaLouisianaMississippiVirginiaWest Virginia
Menu

Upland Cotton

Gossypium hirsutum

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in roadsides, fields and disturbed ground. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

—
Not scored

Native status: sources disagree, under review. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 82%

Height
Up to about 6 feet
Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
July to September

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 11 Louisiana parishes.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

64CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including LA

Genus host records with ranges including LA · Gossypium

  • Achyra rantalisGarden Webworm Moth
  • Acronicta longaLong-Winged Dagger, Darkish Dagger
  • Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
  • Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
  • Agrotis malefidaRascal Dart, Pale-Sided Cut-Worm, Shagreened Cut-Worm
  • Anatrachyntis badiaFlorida Pink Scavanger Caterpillar
  • Anatrachyntis rileyiPink Scavanger Caterpillar
  • Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
  • Anomis erosaYellow Scallop Moth, Mallow Caterpillar
  • Anomis flavaTropical Anomis Moth
Show all 64
  • Anomis impastaGrey-Eyed Scalloped Moth
  • Anticarsia gemmatalisVelvetbean Caterpillar Moth
  • Apantesis argeArge Tiger Moth
  • Argyrogramma verrucaGolden Looper
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Calycopis cecropsRed-Banded Hairstreak, Cecrops Hairstreak
  • Cenopis directanaChokecherry Leafroller Moth
  • Chloridea subflexaSubflexus Straw, Groundcherry Sun Moth
  • Chloridea virescensTobacco Budworm Moth
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
  • Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
  • Citheronia regalisRoyal Walnut Moth, Hickory Horned Devil
  • Colias eurythemeOrange Sulphur, Alfalfa Butterfly
  • Dicymolomia julianalisJulia's Dicymolomia
  • Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
  • Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
  • Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
  • Euzophera semifuneralisAmerican Plum Borer
  • Feltia repletaReplete Dart
  • Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
  • Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
  • Herpetogramma bipunctalisSouthern Beet Webworm, Two-Spotted Herpetogramma
  • Homoeosoma electellaSunflower Moth
  • Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
  • Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Hypsoropha hormosSmall Necklace Moth
  • Moodna ostrinellaDarker Moodna
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
  • Platynota rostranaOmnivorous Platynota
  • Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
  • Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
  • Rachiplusia ouGray Looper
  • Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Spodoptera albulaWhite-Spotted Armyworm, Gray-Streaked Armyworm
  • Spodoptera dolichosSweetpotato Armyworm, Dolichos Armyworm, Large Cotton Armyworm
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera latifasciaOrange-Striped Armyworm, Velvet Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
  • Spoladea recurvalisHawaiian Beet Webworm
  • Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
  • Tarache daciaCotton Bird-Dropping Moth , Brown Cotton Leafworm
  • Tarache terminimaculataCurve-Lined Bird-Dropping Moth, Curve-Lined Acontia
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
  • Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
  • Anomis texana
  • Bucculatrix thurberiella
  • Helvibotys helvialis
  • Phidotricha erigens
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Malvaceae
Soil pH
Neutral
Flower color
Yellow or white

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Louisiana rankSNA
Global rankG4G5
LA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

Choose a county to begin.

How to check your spot

Sources