Albe Red Variegated Cotton

Albe Red Variegated Cotton (Gossypium 'Albe Red Variegated')

Albe Red Variegated Cotton is an ornamental cotton grown as much for its dramatic foliage as its seasonal blooms and bolls. The leaves show a bold mix of deep burgundy, pink, green, and cream that reads like living color-blocking in beds and containers. It thrives in heat and sun, giving you a strong, upright accent plant that looks intentional all summer. As the season progresses, soft pink, hibiscus-like flowers can appear and mature into decorative cotton bolls with white fluff.

Distinctive Features

This cotton stands out for its richly variegated leaves, with saturated red tones washed and mottled with lighter cream and green, creating constant visual movement even when it is not in flower. The plant grows upright and branching, forming a sturdy, architectural silhouette that works well as a seasonal feature. Light pink flowers typically arrive in summer and are followed by rounded seedpods that open to reveal white cotton, adding a playful late-season finish. In cooler climates it is often grown as a warm-season annual, while in frost-free areas it can behave as a tender perennial.

Growing Conditions

• Sun: Full sun for best color, strongest stems, and the most dependable flowering.
• Soil: Well-drained soil is essential, and average garden soil works well when drainage is good.
• Water: Medium moisture, water regularly to establish, then allow slight drying between waterings.
• USDA Zones: Outdoors as a tender perennial in Zones 9 to 11, or grown as an annual where winters are cold.
• Mature Size: Typically 24 to 36 inches tall and 18 to 30 inches wide.
• Habit: Upright and branching with a shrubby, accent-plant form.
• Foliage: Variegated leaves in burgundy, pink, green, and cream for season-long color.
• Flower: Light pink flowers in summer.
• Fruit: Seedpods that open to reveal white cotton bolls.

Ideal Uses

• Focal Point: Use it as a focal point in a sunny bed or large container where the bold variegation can carry the design all season.
• Containers: Plant in patio pots as a high-impact foliage accent that stays strong through heat.
• Mixed Beds: Weave into annual and tropical-style plantings to add contrast and a taller, upright layer.
• Entry and Patio Color: Place near doors and seating areas for close-up foliage detail and late-season bolls.
• Cut Accents: Use stems with bolls as seasonal accents in dried arrangements once pods mature and open.

Low Maintenance Care

• Watering: Water consistently during establishment, then water deeply when the top few inches of soil dry.
• Fertilizing: Feed lightly during active growth, since heavy nitrogen can push soft growth.
• Pinching: Pinch early stems if you want a bushier plant, or let it grow naturally for a taller accent.
• Staking: Stake in windy sites if stems get top-heavy late in the season.
• Season End: In cold climates, treat as an annual and remove after frost, or overwinter indoors in bright light where practical.

Why Choose Albe Red Variegated Cotton?

• Foliage Drama: Variegated leaves deliver color and contrast from the moment the plant fills in.
• Heat Ready: Performs well in sunny, warm conditions when you need plants that hold up.
• Seasonal Finish: Pink flowers and cotton bolls add a second act later in the season.
• Design Versatility: Works as a container centerpiece or a bold accent in mixed beds.
• Conversation Value: The foliage and cotton bolls create a look that feels unexpected and memorable.

Albe Red Variegated Cotton is easiest to grow when you give it full sun, sharp drainage, and steady moisture while it establishes. Once it is rooted in, it becomes a strong, upright accent that keeps delivering foliage color and late-season interest with minimal work. Place it where the leaves can be seen up close, and let the cotton bolls provide a distinctive seasonal detail as summer turns toward fall.