Ornamental · Solanaceae
Nicotiana
Nicotiana alata
Grow it for the night-scented flowers that pour fragrance across the evening garden all summer.
Full sun
Every 3–7 days
50–86°F · 10–30°C
55–75 days
Overview
Nicotiana, better known as flowering tobacco, is a fast-growing garden annual in the nightshade family and a cousin of the tomato and pepper. Its big moment lands at dusk, not midday, when the long tubular flowers swing open and pour out a sweet, jasmine-like scent. Plant it right beside where you unwind on a warm evening and it takes over the air the second the sun drops.
It shoots up tall and upright, hitting 3 to 5 feet (91 to 152 cm) in the heirloom forms, with airy clusters of white, lime-green, or colored trumpets riding high above broad, sticky leaves. Warm zones let it live on as a tender perennial, but almost everyone grows it as an annual and sows a fresh crop each spring. Even better, it often self-seeds and comes storming back on its own.
As easy as it is to grow, flowering tobacco packs one serious warning. Every part of it holds nicotine and related alkaloids, which makes the whole plant toxic to people, pets, and grazing animals. Drink in the scent, feast your eyes on the flowers, and keep it far from anyone's mouth.
Care
The short version: full sun to a touch of afternoon shade, steady moisture in rich soil, and a monthly feed through the season, with spent flowers deadheaded to keep the show rolling.
Light
Hand nicotiana full sun and it rewards you with the sturdiest plants and the heaviest bloom. It still takes partial shade, and a spot with afternoon shade actually pays off where summers turn hot, since the plant fades fast under baking sun.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist and water the moment the top starts to dry, usually every 3 to 7 days. It has next to no tolerance for drought and will wilt and stall in a dry spell, so never let it bake out between drinks.
Soil
Set it into organically rich, well-drained soil that holds moisture without going soggy. A slightly acidic pH of 5.5 to 6.5 hits the mark, and a generous scoop of compost hands the roots exactly what they crave.
Temperature
Flowering tobacco thrives across a wide band, roughly 50°F to 86°F (10°C to 30°C). It is tender, though, so frost stops it cold, and it tends to sulk and decline once the peak of summer heat rolls in.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity has it covered, so skip chasing a number here. What really drives it is steady soil moisture and solid airflow moving around those broad, sticky leaves.
Feeding
Feed it monthly through the growing season with a balanced fertilizer built for flowering annuals. That steady boost keeps a fast grower like this one cranking out fresh buds instead of running dry midseason.
Pruning
Deadhead spent flowers to keep the new ones firing, and pinch young plants to push them to branch and fill out bushy. If one shoots up leggy or flags in midsummer heat, cut it back hard and it usually roars back.
Size & spacing
Plants launch to 3 to 5 feet (91 to 152 cm) tall and spread 12 to 24 inches (30 to 61 cm) wide, so hand each one that much elbow room. That space keeps air moving freely and gives the tall stems room to stand tall.
When to plant
Nicotiana is a frost-tender annual, so timing pays off. Fire up the seed indoors in late winter, hold the plants back until the last frost clears and the soil warms, then watch them bloom from early summer right through to the first frost of fall.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: 6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost; seed needs light and should be surface sown
- Plant: After all danger of frost has passed and soil has warmed in late spring
- Harvest: Blooms from early summer (June) until first fall frost; fragrant tubular flowers open at night
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 10–11
Temperature: down to -1°C
Troubleshooting
Most snags with flowering tobacco land on the leaves, whether a virus, chewing insects, or heat is behind it. Catch the early signs and you can pounce before a problem spreads. Match what you see below, then tackle it while your effort still counts.
Mottled mosaic leaves stuck in stunted growth
A mosaic of light and dark green with puckered, stunted leaves signals tobacco mosaic virus, which sneaks in from nearby nightshade vegetables or off hands that just handled them. Nothing cures it, so act fast: pull the affected plant and destroy it. Then scrub your hands, disinfect your tools, and plant the next round well clear of tomatoes and peppers.
Fix:
- Remove and destroy infected plants
- Wash hands and disinfect tools after handling
- Avoid planting near tomatoes, peppers and other Solanaceae
Chewed holes punched through leaves and flowers
Ragged holes in the leaves and flowers point straight to beetles and other chewing insects, which really ramp up once warm weather hits. Jump on them by handpicking the moment you spot them, and you stay a step ahead. Bring out a labeled insecticide only when the feeding turns heavy.
Fix:
- Handpick beetles
- Use an appropriate labeled insecticide or insecticidal control if infestation is heavy
Wilting and fading when the heat cranks up
Nicotiana runs short on patience for drought and intense summer heat, so it slumps the moment the soil dries out or the afternoon sun blazes. Keep the ground evenly moist and pile on some mulch to lock that water in. Gardening somewhere hot down south? Park it where it grabs afternoon shade and it powers right through.
Fix:
- Keep soil consistently moist
- Provide afternoon shade in hot southern climates
- Mulch to conserve soil moisture
Sticky new growth swarming with tiny insects
Those soft little insects packed onto the buds and leaf undersides are aphids, and that sticky sheen is the honeydew they leave. Blast them off with a strong jet of water and most of them vanish on the spot. If a few march back, hit them with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil.
Fix:
- Wash aphids off with a strong spray of water
- Apply insecticidal soap or horticultural oil if needed
Toxicity
This is a plant to keep well out of reach. Every part of flowering tobacco holds nicotine and related alkaloids, and eating any of it can poison cats, dogs, horses, rabbits, birds, livestock, and people alike. Watch for drooling, vomiting, and tremors, with dangerous effects on the heart and breathing when a lot goes down, so plant it well away from pets, grazing animals, and small children.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Severe
A cat that samples any part of the plant may spark into jitters and then crash into a slump, with drooling, vomiting, and an unsteady walk. Larger doses drive things harder, into tremors, a racing heart, weakness, and, in the worst cases, collapse.
Dogs Severe
Dogs go after the leaves and stems, and the nicotine strikes fast once they do. Drooling, vomiting, a wobbly gait, and tremors show up first, and a big helping can push them toward a pounding heartbeat, weakness, and even paralysis.
Horses Severe
A horse that grazes on it can flare up agitated, then slide into dull and weak. Vomiting, stumbling, and muscle trembling can follow, and a heavy dose is flat-out dangerous.
Rabbits Toxic
The nicotine coursing through the plant is no good for rabbits at all. Even a small bite of leaf can leave one drooling, off its food, and shaky, so keep flowering tobacco entirely out of their reach.
Livestock Severe
Cattle, sheep, and goats hit by the nicotine and anabasine turn weak and trembly with a staggering gait, and severe cases spiral into respiratory failure. Pregnant animals face extra danger, since the alkaloids can twist growing limbs into crooked-calf deformities.
Birds Toxic
The alkaloids loaded into every part of the plant strike birds too. A bird that pecks the foliage or seed can turn weak, lose its balance, and struggle to breathe, so keep flock and pet birds well away from it.
People Caution
No part of flowering tobacco is food, and swallowing the leaves, flowers, or seed delivers a real dose of nicotine. Expect nausea, vomiting, and drooling, with tremors and dangerous effects on the heart and breathing if more goes down, so keep curious children well clear.
Keep all plant parts away from pets, children, and grazing animals; wash hands after handling.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Flowering tobacco rolls out in several distinct strains, from towering night-scented heirlooms to tidy day-blooming hybrids. Here are the ones you will most likely track down.
Lime Green
This one throws out unusual chartreuse to yellow-green flowers that florists snap up for arrangements.
Grandiflora
A tall heirloom that unfurls very fragrant white flowers the moment darkness falls.
Nicki Series
A compact hybrid around 1 to 2 feet tall that pumps out flowers in a wide range of colors and keeps them open through the day.
How to propagate
Nicotiana grows almost entirely from seed, and it hands out plenty, often dropping enough to come charging back on its own the following year.
SeedModerate
Start indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost or direct sow after frost; surface sow because seed needs light to germinate · Germination in about 1 to 2 weeks, with blooming plants in roughly 2 to 3 months from sowing
Nicotiana takes off from seed with almost no fuss. Kick it off indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost, or sow it straight into warm ground once frost clears, and just press the seed onto the surface without burying it, since it needs light to sprout. Seedlings break through in a week or two and hit flowering size in roughly 2 to 3 months, and an established plant often self-sows to bring itself back next year.
Myths
Flowering tobacco is a harmless ornamental because it is not the smoking tobacco plant.
It is a true Nicotiana through and through, and every part of it carries nicotine and related alkaloids. Eating any of it can poison people, pets, and livestock, so treat the flashy flowers with the same caution you would any toxic plant.
Nicotiana flowers are fragrant and showy all day long.
The tubular flowers hold their scent back until evening, then throw open and perfume the garden after dark. Each bloom lasts only a single night, but the plant keeps firing up fresh ones right through the season.