2 named cultivars

annual

Flowering Tobacco

The Story

Plant Bio

Nicotiana alata, flowering tobacco, is an upright tender perennial from South America grown as a summer annual, reaching three to five feet. Large soft sticky leaves form a basal rosette, and long-tubed star-shaped flowers in white, green, pink and red open along branching stems from summer until frost, releasing a powerful jasmine-like scent after dusk.

The scent is the reason to grow it, and it is nocturnal — the flowers open and release their perfume in the evening for the moths that pollinate them, so plant it where you sit after dark rather than where you pass at noon. Note that most modern dwarf bedding strains have been bred for colour and daytime display and have lost the fragrance almost entirely.

Uses & Benefits:

Tall airy stems of long-tubed star flowers over months, in white, lime green, pink and red.

Self-seeds gently once established, returning without being replanted each year.

Night-flying moths and hummingbirds feed at the long-tubed flowers, which are shaped for them.

Essentials

At a Glance

Plant Type

Annual

Height

48 inches

Width

15 inches

Light

Full Sun, Partial Sun

Zones

Water

Moderate

Humidity

Moderate

Lifespan

Annual

Native To

South America

Toxicity

All parts toxic if eaten

Planting

How to Grow

Sow indoors and plant out after the last frost.
Give it full sun or light shade and rich moist soil.
Site it beside a seat or open window for the scent.
Water regularly; it wilts badly in drought.
Deadhead to keep new flowering stems coming.
Let a few seedheads ripen if you want it to self-sow.

Pro Tip

Buy the tall species rather than a dwarf bedding strain — the compact ones have been bred for colour and have almost no scent.

Keep It Thriving

Care Guide

Do

Plant it where you sit in the evening 🌙
Keep the soil moist through summer 💧
Choose tall scented forms over dwarfs 👃
Deadhead to prolong flowering ✂️

Don't

Let it dry out; it wilts fast ❌
Expect scent from dwarf bedding strains ❌
Let pets or livestock eat it ❌

Seasonal Care Calendar

Task	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Deadhead
Sow

Watch Out For

Pests & Diseases

Common Pests

Common Diseases

In the Garden

Landscape Uses & Companions

Landscape Uses

Evening-scented planting near a seatCottage garden and mixed borderNight garden and moth planting

Companion Plants

Four O'Clock Moonflower Cleome Cosmos Verbena Bonariensis

Multiply

Propagation Methods

Good to Know

Common Questions

Flowering Tobacco questions

What zones can Flowering Tobacco grow in?

Flowering Tobacco is hardy in USDA Zone 10. Inside that range it survives winter in the ground; outside it, grow it as an annual or a container plant you protect.

Is Flowering Tobacco deer resistant?

Yes — Flowering Tobacco is rated deer-resistant. Deer typically pass it over, though extreme hunger can override any plant's defenses.

When does Flowering Tobacco bloom?

Flowering Tobacco typically blooms in summer to frost through late summer. Exact timing shifts a week or two with your zone — Sow's bloom calendar maps it to your garden.

Does Flowering Tobacco need full sun?

Flowering Tobacco does best in full sun to part shade. In hot climates, afternoon shade keeps blooms fresher longer.