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Malvaceae
Sturt's Desert Rose
Gossypium sturtianum
Floral emblem of the Northern Territory.
- Family
- Malvaceae
- Genus
- Gossypium
- Native to
- Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- shrub
- Height
- 3-6 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- dry, rocky, well-drained
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 9-12
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Sturt's desert rose is the floral emblem of the Northern Territory of Australia, adopted in 1961.
- It is related to the cotton plant (Gossypium hirsutum) and produces similar fluffy seed fibers, though unsuitable for commercial use.
- The mauve flowers have a distinctive dark crimson center eye, creating a striking two-tone appearance.
- Named after Captain Charles Sturt, the explorer who first documented it during his central Australian expeditions in the 1840s.
- Unlike the Sturt's desert pea (a separate species), the desert rose is a true woody shrub that can live for many years.
Color meanings
0
courage
1
endurance
2
outback spirit