Gossypium herbaceum ‘Nigrum’ (Black-Leaved Cotton) [6 Seeds]

(6 customer reviews)

$4.75

***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.***

Germination Information: Sow indoors (about 1/4″ deep) in late winter to late spring and set in a very warm, bright place. In my experience, providing supplemental warmth with a heat mat enhances seed germination and seedling growth. Placing the seeds in a moist paper towel in a plastic sandwich bag can also work (but do not set the bag directly on a heat mat); check them daily after the third day and pot them up as soon as they sprout.

Wait until night temperatures are dependably above 50°F, at the very least, before moving the seedlings to your garden or a container planting. Chilling early on can stunt their growth for the whole summer.

Don’t be concerned if your seedlings appear to have greenish leaves at first; as long as they have red stems, they should darken when they get out in sunlight and warmth. This strain almost always comes true, foliage-wise, but every once in a while, it may produce one or more seedlings that are solid green, or that stay reddish green as they grow. I recommend discarding any off-type plants if you are planning to collect seed. I always include a couple extra seeds in the packet, just in case.

Note that this information will not appear on the seed packet you receive.

Please read the description as well before ordering.

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***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.***

Black-leaved cotton—generally known by the botanical name Gossypium herbaceum ‘Nigrum’ or ‘Nigra’—produces near-black foliage and months of hibiscus-like, deep pink to pink-blushed white flowers that are followed by near-black bolls (pods) filled with white fibers. The upright, branching plants usually reach 18 to 36 inches tall. Black-leaved cotton thrives in full sun and rich soil with regular watering. Generally grown as an annual, it’s a dramatic foliage accent in the garden and fantastic in containers! Full sun for best growth.

A few people have asked me why these seeds are so expensive, and why I usually have only one packet available at a time. Here in southeastern Pennsylvania, I have a 50/50 chance of getting maybe a dozen seeds per plant to fully ripen before frost if I grow them outdoors. So, I grow my black-leaved cotton in large pots in my small greenhouse. It gives me a somewhat protected spot for six or seven plants, but it’s not heated, and cold weather can still slow seed production after mid September. As I don’t want to sell seeds that I’m not confident are mature, my yearly supply is very limited.

Don’t want to spend the money on these? Consider Googling “red-foliated cotton” or “Gossypium hirsutum Red Foliated”; a few sources sell that strain. I grew that one once, in the same conditions as ‘Nigrum’. The seedlings all looked similar at first, but the ‘Red Foliated’ plants had larger leaves and grew more quickly than ‘Nigrum’. Though they were indeed darkish—ranging from red-tinged green to dark reddish purple—the ‘Red Foliated’ leaves were not as dark as the near-black of ‘Nigrum’. It still makes a nice show, though, so take it under consideration.

If you do grow out these seeds of Gossypium herbaceum ‘Nigrum’ and are able to harvest some next fall, I encourage you to share them with friends or seed exchanges. I have no idea why larger-scale growers have not picked up on the demand for them; it’s not as if the plants are difficult to grow or to get seed from in warm climates. But as the seeds of this strain are so scarce, they need to be shared as widely as possible.

Speaking of seed exchanges…that’s where my original seeds came from many years ago, labeled with the name Gossypium herbaceum ‘Nigra’. I have never understood why the strain name would end in “a” (a feminine suffix) when both the genus name and specific epithet are neuter gender, so I’ve drifted into using ‘Nigrum’ instead. If you want to explain to me why ‘Nigra’ is indeed correct, please do contact me; I’m all ears.

Collected in September to early November 2022. At least 6 seeds. Limit one packet per customer. (Please–if you have already purchased one packet since October 2022, don’t place additional orders to acquire more; give others a chance too. I reserve the right to cancel multiple orders.)

Again, I cannot ship these seeds to AL, AR, CA, FL, NC, TX, or VA.

Please read the germination information as well before ordering.

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6 reviews for Gossypium herbaceum ‘Nigrum’ (Black-Leaved Cotton) [6 Seeds]

  1. Richard Ness (verified owner)

    Growing great

  2. Karla O. (verified owner)

  3. Jill cogswell (verified owner)

    These are so fun!

  4. Kathy (verified owner)

    I received more seeds than stated and had 100% germination. They sprouted very quickly and are now growing beautifully. I am very happy with my order!

  5. Helen Breland (verified owner)

  6. Brett Barnett (verified owner)

    Healthy seeds all sprouted!

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