"G. barbadense", like other cottons, forms a small bush in its first year. In cultivation, it is treated as an annual. If allowed to, it can grow into a large bush or even a small tree of height 1–3 m. Leaves are mostly 8–20 cm long, with 3-7 lobes. One distinction between "G. barbadense" and the more commonly cultivated "G. hirsutum" is that "G. barbadense" has three to five lobes whereas "G. hirsutum" has only three. The lobes of "G. barbadense"'s are also more deeply cut, about ⅔ the length of the leaf, as opposed to ½ for "G. hirsutum".