Gossypium hirsutum. Grown by the Akimel O'odham for food and fiber until 1900. Padre Kino noted the extensive cotton fields and use of the fiber for weaving into clothing and blankets. This variety, related to Hopi cotton, was maintained by the Field Station in Sacaton, Arizona, for many years under the name Sacaton Aboriginal. The O'odham planted cotton "when the mesquite began to leaf out." From our Seed Bank Collection.
Origin: low desert
A warm weather crop that requires hot weather and a long season.
