Taxonomy

Velvetleaf plants are 3 to 8 feet tall. The heart-shaped leaves that may be up to eight inches wide and are covered with velvety hair. The plant has an unpleasant odor when crushed.

Flowers occur near top of the plant and at the bases of the leaves. The blooms are ½ to 1 inch in diameter with five orange-yellow petals.

The seeds are contained in ring-shaped fruits that are about one inch in diameter and made up of 5 to 15 pods. Each seed pod has a beak-like bristle and contains from 2 to 9 small seeds.