See A Cotton Boll Open!

I was acquainted with the Kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra) while I was young. I once thought of it as the "cotton tree," that that's where our cotton is coming from.

Fast forward to college, I realized that I was wrong! In our crop science classes, we were presented live samples of crops, including the cotton plant (Gossypium hirsutum). That was the first time I saw one, and we all thought that it would grow into the "cotton tree" we were familiar with. That was when we were clarified that the two are different species, and that the major source of cotton is actually Gossypium, not Ceiba.

I was lucky to get some cotton seeds and grow one. Months after, the sole successful cotton plant grew bolls, and eventually the bolls started to "pop." Well the bolls don't exactly pop, but they slowly open as the exocarp dries up. Hence, I timelapsed its opening. It usually takes just a day but this one took more than that, probably because the plant was put indoors (for the purpose of videoing).

Anyway, here is the video. Enjoy!

I will be posting another article about raising cotton in the future. Not sure when, but I will.