Gossypium herbaceum, the Cotton Plant or Levant Cotton, is native mostly of South Africa, but is also found across almost all the continents. This shrub grows no taller than 1.5 meters high and about 1 meter across. The foliage is persistent or semi-persistent depending on the climate. The leaves are palmed and green, sometimes with red-purple markings. The flowers are pretty and round. They are bright yellow. The fruit of the Cotton Tree is a brownish capsule that opens at maturity and exposes the seeds that are covered with a white fibre, the cotton. Hardiness zones 9-10 (-5§C/25§F, 1§C/35§F) in winter. The Cotton Tree loves sunlight and hot temperatures and is very sensitive to cold. Young plants die at 10§C. Adult plants don?t resist temperatures under 2§C. The Cotton Tree can accommodate of any sort of soil, as long as it is well-drained. It can resist to long periods of drought, but it will grow faster and better if it is watered regularly and abundantly. It needs a lot of light.