Ornamental · Solanaceae
Nicotiana
Nicotiana alata
The plant to grow for night-scented flowers that turn a summer evening into an occasion.
Full sun
Every 3–7 days
50–86°F · 10–30°C
55–75 days
Overview
Nicotiana, the plant most people know as flowering tobacco, is a fast-growing garden annual in the nightshade family and a relative of the tomato and pepper. Its moment belongs to the evening rather than the midday border, arriving when the long tubular flowers open and send a soft, jasmine-like scent drifting across the terrace. Set it beside the chairs where the household gathers after dinner, and it turns an ordinary warm night into something worth lingering over.
It reads as a tall, upright presence, climbing 3 to 5 feet (91 to 152 cm) in the heirloom forms, with loose clusters of white, lime-green, or colored trumpets floating over broad leaves. Warm zones let it persist as a tender perennial, yet most gardens treat it as an annual, replanting each spring to keep the look fresh. Left to its own devices it often self-seeds, returning to the same corner of the garden year after year.
For all its charm, flowering tobacco comes with a line to respect. Every part of it holds nicotine and related alkaloids, which makes the whole plant toxic to people, pets, and grazing animals. It earns its place as a plant for the senses of sight and scent, never for the table.
Care
The short version: set it in full sun with a little afternoon shade, keep rich soil evenly moist, feed monthly through the season, and deadhead the spent flowers to keep the display going.
Light
Give nicotiana full sun for the fullest, most flower-laden plants, and let it anchor the brightest part of the border. It accepts partial shade too, and a spot with afternoon shade actually suits it where summers run hot, since the plant fades quickly under relentless sun.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist, watering once the top begins to dry, which tends to fall every 3 to 7 days. It has little patience for drought and will wilt and stall in a dry spell, so a steady rhythm keeps it looking its best.
Soil
Plant it in organically rich, well-drained soil that stays moist without turning soggy. A slightly acidic pH of 5.5 to 6.5 suits it, and a generous helping of compost gives the roots the footing they want.
Temperature
Flowering tobacco settles in across a wide band, roughly 50°F to 86°F (10°C to 30°C). It is tender, so frost brings the season to a close, and it tends to slow and decline once the height of summer heat arrives.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity is all it asks for, so there is no figure to aim at here. What counts more is steady soil moisture and easy airflow moving around those broad leaves.
Feeding
Feed monthly through the growing season with a balanced fertilizer made for flowering annuals. That regular boost keeps a fast grower like this one sending up fresh buds, so the display never loses momentum.
Pruning
Deadhead spent flowers to keep new ones opening, and pinch young plants to encourage a fuller, bushier shape. If a plant runs leggy or flags in midsummer heat, a hard cutback usually brings it back into form.
Size & spacing
Plants stand 3 to 5 feet (91 to 152 cm) tall and spread 12 to 24 inches (30 to 61 cm) wide, so give each one that much room in the layout. The space lets air move freely and gives the tall stems the room they need to hold the eye.
When to plant
Nicotiana is a frost-tender annual, so a little planning shapes the season. Start the seed indoors in late winter, move the plants out only after the last frost has cleared and the soil has warmed, and the border fills with 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 of what troubles flowering tobacco shows on the leaves, whether from a virus, chewing insects, or the heat, and reading the early signs keeps a small issue from spoiling the picture. Notice the change, match it to the notes below, and step in while it still makes a difference.
Mottled mosaic leaves that never fill in
A blotchy mosaic pattern with puckered, stunted growth is the mark of tobacco mosaic virus, which travels in from nearby nightshade vegetables or off hands that just touched them. Since no cure exists, an affected plant has to be lifted and destroyed before it spoils the display. Wash up, sanitize your tools, and keep future plantings a comfortable distance from 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 marring the leaves and blooms
Ragged holes across the planting usually mean beetles and other chewing insects, which are busiest when the weather turns warm. Picking them off by hand as you pass keeps the damage from spoiling the look. A labeled insecticide is worth considering only if the feeding grows heavy enough to matter.
Fix:
- Handpick beetles
- Use an appropriate labeled insecticide or insecticidal control if infestation is heavy
Wilting and fading through the summer peak
Nicotiana asks for comfort, and drought and intense summer heat are exactly what it dislikes, so it slumps when the soil dries or the afternoon sun turns fierce. Even soil moisture keeps it composed, and a layer of mulch holds what you give it. In hot southern settings, a place with afternoon shade lets it hold its poise through the season.
Fix:
- Keep soil consistently moist
- Provide afternoon shade in hot southern climates
- Mulch to conserve soil moisture
Sticky, crowded new growth losing its polish
Soft little insects gathered on the buds and leaf undersides, with a sticky film to match, are aphids and the honeydew they leave behind. A firm spray of water clears most of them and restores the tidy look. If they drift back, insecticidal soap or horticultural oil settles the rest.
Fix:
- Wash aphids off with a strong spray of water
- Apply insecticidal soap or horticultural oil if needed
Toxicity
This is a plant to place thoughtfully, 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. Drooling, vomiting, and tremors are the usual signs, with dangerous effects on the heart and breathing when a lot goes down, so give it a home 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 turn jittery at first and then sink into a slump, with drooling, vomiting, and an unsteady walk. Larger amounts move on to tremors, a racing heart, weakness, and, at the extreme, collapse.
Dogs Severe
Dogs are inclined to chew the leaves and stems, and the nicotine acts quickly once they do. Drooling, vomiting, a wobbly gait, and tremors can give way to a pounding heartbeat, weakness, and even paralysis when a large amount is eaten.
Horses Severe
A horse that grazes on it may grow agitated before turning dull and weak. Vomiting, stumbling, and muscle trembling can follow, and a heavy dose is genuinely dangerous.
Rabbits Toxic
The nicotine running through the plant is not safe for rabbits. Even a small piece of leaf can leave one drooling, off its food, and shaky, so flowering tobacco belongs entirely out of reach.
Livestock Severe
Cattle, sheep, and goats poisoned by the nicotine and anabasine show weakness, tremors, and a staggering gait, with respiratory failure in severe cases. Pregnant animals carry added risk, since the alkaloids can twist developing limbs into crooked-calf deformities.
Birds Toxic
The alkaloids that fill every part of the plant reach birds as well. A bird that pecks the foliage or seed can grow weak, lose its balance, and struggle to breathe, so flock and pet birds should stay away.
People Caution
No part of flowering tobacco is edible, and swallowing the leaves, flowers, or seed delivers a real dose of nicotine. Nausea, vomiting, and drooling are likely, 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 arrives in several distinct strains, from towering night-scented heirlooms to trim day-blooming hybrids, each suited to a slightly different corner of the garden. These are the ones most often found.
Lime Green
Its uncommon chartreuse to yellow-green flowers are a florist's favorite for slipping into arrangements.
Grandiflora
A tall heirloom whose very fragrant white flowers open once the evening arrives.
Nicki Series
A compact hybrid of about 1 to 2 feet, offering a wide palette of colors on flowers that stay open through the day.
How to propagate
Nicotiana is raised almost entirely from seed, and it is generous with it, often dropping enough to reappear 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 comes along easily from seed. Sow it indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost, or set it straight into warm ground once frost has passed, and rest the seed on the surface rather than covering it, since it needs light to wake up. Seedlings appear within a week or two and reach flowering size in roughly 2 to 3 months, and a settled plant tends to self-sow, returning to the border the following year.
Myths
Flowering tobacco is a harmless ornamental because it is not the smoking tobacco plant.
It is a true Nicotiana all the same, and every part of it carries nicotine and related alkaloids. Eating any of it can poison people, pets, and livestock, so those elegant flowers deserve the same caution as any toxic plant.
Nicotiana flowers are fragrant and showy all day long.
The tubular flowers hold their perfume for the evening, opening fully and scenting the garden after dark. Each bloom lasts only a single night, though the plant keeps offering fresh ones through the season.