Cotton in the Language of Flowers


In the Language of Flowers cotton means 
luck, healing, protection, and rain.
The scientific name is Gossypium and it belongs to the mallow family
along with hibiscus, okra, and hollyhocks.

Cotton has been around a long time.  Scientists have found pieces of cotton
around 7,000 years old in Mexico.  It was first machine spun in England in 1730
but Mr. Eli Whitney of Massachusetts 
secured a patent on a cotton gin (short for engine) in 1793.
Remember learning about Eli in elementary school?  I do. 
Stands out in my memory along with astronomy.
Within 10 years the value of a cotton crop went from $150,000 
to more than $8,000,000 - impressive.  www.cottonacres.com  



Cotton is a sustainable fiber and there is no waste as the entire plant is used.  The seeds
are used for animal feed and to make cottonseed oil. The stalks
are tilled back into the soil after harvest.   
Seventeen southern states in the US grown cotton. 
Have you seen those home decor wreaths made with stems and bolls of cotton?
I love those.


Some of this information was taken from my book 
Victorian Flora: A Language of Flowers Handbook
now available on Amazon




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