• Photo of Nicotiana tabacum (Nicotiana tabacums)

Plant Profile: Nicotiana tabacum

Taxonomy: Nicotiana tabacum

Names

Tobacco

  • Photo of Nicotiana tabacum (Nicotiana tabacums)

Phonetic Spelling:nih-koh-tee-AY-nah tah-BAY-kum

Genus:Nicotiana

Species:tabacum

Family:Solanaceae

This plant is an annual or tender perennial known for its fragrant blooms that release their scent at night. It tends to grow in a spindly manner and thrives in consistently moist, nutrient-rich, well-drained soil, ideally situated in full sun to partial shade. In hotter summer regions, it benefits from some afternoon shade. Over time, it has largely been supplanted by shorter varieties that bloom during the day and lack fragrance.

Nicotiana tabacum Feature Summary

Nicotiana tabacum Image Gallery

Tags

#showy flowers
#poisonous
#fragrant flowers
#annual
#many colors
#tubular flowers
#tender perennial
#deer resistant
#night-flowering

Similar Plants

Nicotiana tabacum is often confused with:

Nicotiana tabacum Feature Summary

Attributes
Fruit
Produces many minute seeds.
Flowers
Flowers tubular, cream, pink, or green-white, 5-lobed at the top.
Pink
White
Green
Cream/Tan
4-5 petals/rays
Leaves
Leaves large, alternate, simple, with sticky hairs.
Spatulate
Velvety
Poisonous to Humans
HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN! Vomiting, diarrhea, slow pulse, dizziness, collapse, and respiratory failure may occur if eaten.
Nicotine and other alkaloids
Leaves
Flowers
Whole Plant Traits
Annual
Herbaceous Perennial
Poisonous
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Less than 12 inches
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Landscape
Rock Garden
Nighttime Garden
Border
Mass Planting
Container
Patio
Poisonous to Humans

Nicotiana tabacum Attributes

Nicotiana tabacum: Country Or Region Of Origin

South America

Nicotiana tabacum: Wildlife Value

Resistant to deer

Nicotiana tabacum: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Nicotiana tabacum: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Nicotiana tabacum Fruit

Nicotiana tabacum: Fruit Description

Produces many minute seeds.

Nicotiana tabacum: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Nicotiana tabacum Flowers

Nicotiana tabacum: Flower Description

Flowers tubular, cream, pink, or green-white, 5-lobed at the top.

Nicotiana tabacum: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Cream/Tan
filter_vintage
Green
filter_vintage
Pink
filter_vintage
White

Nicotiana tabacum: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Nicotiana tabacum: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Nicotiana tabacum: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Nicotiana tabacum: Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Nicotiana tabacum Leaves

Nicotiana tabacum: Leaf Description

Leaves large, alternate, simple, with sticky hairs.

Nicotiana tabacum: Leaf Color

spa
Green

Nicotiana tabacum: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Nicotiana tabacum: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Nicotiana tabacum: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Nicotiana tabacum: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Nicotiana tabacum: Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Nicotiana tabacum Poisonous to Humans

Nicotiana tabacum: Poison Symptoms

HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN! Vomiting, diarrhea, slow pulse, dizziness, collapse, and respiratory failure may occur if eaten.

Nicotiana tabacum: Poison Toxic Principle

Nicotine and other alkaloids

Nicotiana tabacum: Poison Severity

High
Low
Medium

Nicotiana tabacum: Causes Contact Dermatitis

No
Yes

Nicotiana tabacum: Poison Part

Bark
Flowers
Fruits
Leaves
Roots
Sap/Juice
Seeds
Stems

Nicotiana tabacum Whole Plant Traits

Nicotiana tabacum: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Nicotiana tabacum: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Nicotiana tabacum Cultural Conditions

Nicotiana tabacum: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Nicotiana tabacum: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Nicotiana tabacum: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Nicotiana tabacum: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
10a
thermostat
10b
thermostat
11a
thermostat
11b

Nicotiana tabacum Stem

Nicotiana tabacum: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Nicotiana tabacum Landscape

Nicotiana tabacum: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Nicotiana tabacum: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Nicotiana tabacum: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Nicotiana tabacum: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Nicotiana tabacum: Problems

Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy