Found throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere, velvetleaf originated in India or China and is now considered invasive and/or noxious in parts of North America, Europe, northern Africa, Japan, and South Korea. It is mainly an agricultural weed, as it causes serious damage to corn, soybeans, and cotton. This is mainly due to the fact that it competes for similar nutrients and light needed for the survival of those crops. Each plant can produce between 700 and 44,200 seeds, making the spread of velvetleaf difficult to control. Repeated use of herbicides and biological methods are the best means of elimination.