Home » Plants » Abutilon theophrasti

Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medik.)

Also known as velvet plant, velvetweed, Chinese jute, China jute, crown weed, Indian mallow, lantern mallow.

Page contents

Summary
Range
Habitat
Uses
Relatives
Links

↑Summary

Velvetleaf is a plant native to south Asia with a wide distribution across North America. It is primarily a weed of cropland, especially corn. It can hugely reduce crop yields, is costly economically, and is widely considered an invasive weed.

↑Range - Expand

Legend	Color
Introduced
Introduced or Not Present

This tentative map is based on our own research. It may have limited data on Canada and/or Mexico, and there is some subjectivity in our assignment of plants as introduced vs. expanded. Read more in this blog post.

Although this plant occurs somewhere in each of these regions, it may only occur in a small part of some or all of them.

We have completed this species' range map for Canada and the US, but not yet for Mexico.

↑Habitat

Rich, cultivated soils. Particularly common in cornfields, also occurs on roadsides and in gardens.

↑Uses

Cultivated in China for use as a fiber, resembling Jute, which is produced from plants of the Corchorus genus, in the same family.

There are numerous native Abutilon species in the southwestern U.S., but in most of this species' range it is the only member of its genus. It is also the only introduced member of its genus in North America.

The broader Malvaceae or mallow family, contains many plants, both native and introduced.