WHERE’S WILDLIFE • WILDFLOWER FIELD GUIDE

Velvetleaf

Abutilon theophrasti

Pronunciation: ah-BEW-tih-lon theh-OH-frahs-tee

Soft, heart-shaped leaves, small yellow-orange flowers, and crownlike seed capsules identify this annual of disturbed ground. Velvetleaf was introduced from Asia and is widespread in North America.

A yellow-orange flower beside Velvetleaf’s distinctive developing fruit.

NON-NATIVE • INTRODUCED FROM ASIA

At a glance

Family Malvaceae · mallow family
Genus Abutilon
Life cycle Annual
Height Commonly 2–7 feet
Bloom Summer into fall
Flower color Yellow to yellow-orange
Habitat Fields, roadsides, gardens, and disturbed soil
Other names China Jute, Butterprint

Sightings map

Observation maps show reported sightings, including planted or escaped populations. They do not define the native range.

Field photographs

Five field photographs show the flowers, leaf shape, fine hairs, and distinctive fruit. Select a photograph to enlarge it.

How to recognize it

Check the leaves. Broad, heart-shaped blades end in a pointed tip. Fine teeth edge the blade, and several main veins radiate from its base. Leaves alternate along the stem on long stalks.

Notice the soft covering. Fine hairs coat the leaves and stems, giving the foliage its velvety appearance.

Look at flowers and fruit together. Five yellow-orange petals surround a central cluster of stamens. Flowers arise near the upper leaf axils. The upright, segmented fruit is an especially useful identification feature.

Where and when to look

Look in sunny, disturbed ground: crop fields, roadsides, garden edges, and waste places. This is an introduced annual rather than a characteristic native prairie wildflower.

In Wisconsin, flowering is typically from July into October. The leaves and developing capsules provide useful identification clues even when few flowers are open.

Range & sightings

Non-native in North America. Native to Asia, Velvetleaf is now reported throughout the contiguous United States. An observation map shows reported occurrences, not its original native range.

A crown of seed compartments

The green fruit resembles a small crown or shallow cup made from a ring of upright, pointed compartments. In these photographs, its surface is densely hairy.

As it matures, the fruit becomes brown to nearly black. Dry capsules can remain on the dead stems into winter, providing a clue after the leaves have fallen.

An annual with a lasting seed bank

Velvetleaf reproduces by seed. Its flowers are largely self-pollinated, although insects also visit them. Hard-coated seeds can remain viable in soil for decades, allowing plants to reappear when soil is disturbed.

The species was historically cultivated for stem fiber. Today it is best known as a weed of agricultural and other disturbed ground.

Behind the names

“Velvetleaf” describes the fine hairs covering the foliage. Abutilon comes from an Arabic name for a mallow, while theophrasti honors the Greek botanist Theophrastus.

Sources & further reading

Wisconsin Horticulture Extension: Velvetleaf
Cornell University: Velvetleaf weed profile
UW–Eau Claire: Velvetleaf identification, pronunciation, and distribution

Keep learning

Explore more species in the guide, then practice recognizing wildflowers in the quiz.

Velvetleaf