Description
***I cannot ship these seeds to Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, or Virginia. PLEASE do not try to order these seeds for shipping to any of these states. If you do, I will have to cancel that part of your order, or cancel your entire purchase if you have ordered only the cotton.***
Having been a fan of black-leaved cotton (Gossypium herbaceum ‘Nigrum’) for many years, I longed to grow ‘Albe Red Variegated’ but couldn’t find plants for sale. Finally, in 2022, I scored a few seeds and was able to grow out a few plants, and they were just as good as the pictures. The upright, branching plants reached 2 to 3 feet tall, with hibiscus-like, deep pink to pink-blushed white flowers, followed by plump seedpods (bolls) filled with white fiber and chunky seeds when mature. The best feature, though, was the foliage: deep reddish purple to burgundy-green with splashes of white and pink and sometimes red. The amount and expression of variegation varied from plant to plant, but each of my plants produced at least good markings, and a couple were really spectacular. My only wish is that they produced more seed, but that’s a challenge I have with the black-leaved cotton too. (Obviously, the growing season here in PA isn’t quite long enough for optimal cotton production.) Cotton plants thrive in full sun and rich soil with an ample amount of water, whether you grow them in the ground or a container.
As far as I know, these seeds should all produce variegated plants, but that’s based only on two years’ experience, so I cannot guarantee what the resulting plants will look like. If none of yours are variegated, though, please let me know and I will provide a replacement packet, if possible, or a refund.
If you do grow out these seeds of ‘Albe Red Variegated’ and are able to harvest some next fall, I encourage you to share them with friends or seed exchanges. As with ‘Nigrum’, larger-scale growers have not yet picked up on the demand for the seeds and they are very scarce, even though the plants are not difficult to grow or to get seed from in long-season climates.
2022-collected seeds are sold out. I hope to collect again in September to late October 2023. At least 5 seeds. Because my supply is very limited, there’s a limit of one packet per customer; that way, I can get these seeds to as many gardeners as possible. (Please–if you have already purchased one packet since October 2022, don’t place additional orders to acquire more; give others a chance too.) If the listing appears to be sold out, it may be that I just need to catch up with filling orders. You can sign up for a back-in-stock notification to get an email as soon as I get more seeds listed.
Shipping to US addresses only. Again, I cannot ship these seeds to AL, AR, CA, FL, NC, TX, or VA.
Please read the germination information as well before ordering.
Brett Barnett (verified owner) –
Very high germination rate! Robust little seedlings! :)
I am sooo excited to see the mature plants.