Flowering Tobacco

Don't let the picture fool you. These seeds are about the size of the tip of a pencil. That in and of itself is not strange, but the fact that every single one of them will sprout when you start these seeds in a flat is kind of strange. What kind of seeds are they you ask? Flowering tobacco, aka Nicotiana sylvestris of course.

I started growing this plant back in 2004. I had only slightly experimented with growing plants from seed until this year came along. Since these seeds were extremely tiny, I took care to only place one or two on top of the soil in each cell pack. Or so I thought. Imagine pricking eight tiny seedlings out of the seed pack, transplanting them to another cell, and having them fair just well. Yup, that shows the resilience of this plant.

I started some more this year and they are all doing well. Even with being transported to Maine and planted in my mother's Maine garden. They are gorgeous up there and down here too.

The seedlings look almost just like their parent. This is one plant you can't mistake its seedling for anything else but tobacco. The leaves are a wee bit fuzzy and form a neat rosette that can eventually get to about 24+ inches wide and tall. In the midst of this rosette grows a flower stalk. The flowers are lovely. They are white and tubular and most moths love them. The flowers are also fragrant, though more so at night. Though tall, this is one flower you can plant at the front of the garden since the flower stalk is light and airy.

This tender perennial blooms all season and seedpods form immediately. Since mine grow to about 3-4 feet high, it is easy to brush up against this seedpod/flower stalk when walking through the garden. Guess what happens? Those billions of tiny seeds cascade all over the unsuspecting visitor and fall into the garden.

Grow flowering tobacco in shade to sun and everything in between. The more sun it receives the more water it will need, but I find mine are not particularly fussy. Here in my Zone 6/7 garden flowering tobacco usually returns each year and sometimes self seeds; which is always welcomed in this plant.

I've sent these seeds a long to a few readers and wanted to share the plant and how to grow it with them specifically, but honestly this plant is a lot of fun for everyone, easy to grow, and readily available. Enjoy.

Those that I promised seeds too but who have not received them yet, I have not forgotten, just been busy. I will get them out soon. If anyone else would like some seeds, let me know.

For a very pretty bottle tree do check out Iowa Gardening Woman at My Iowa Garden.

in the garden....