Tobacco plant Seeds - Nicotiana sylvestris

Nicotiana sylvestris or woodland tobacco is an astonishing plant that bears slender, 10 cm long trumpet-shaped blooms that hang in fragrant cascades.  

Nicotiana or tobacco plant is a member of the Solanaceae family and comes from the tropical and subtropical regions of South and Central America. It blooms profusely throughout the warmer seasons until the first cold spells. Still rarely used in French gardens, tobacco plants would gain to be known for the originality of their often deliciously scented flowers and the exotic touch it brings to gardens. 

Most species of tobacco produce flowers that open in the late afternoon, diffusing their jasmine-like scent all night long, and close in the early morning, at first light. These plants are described botanically as being vespertine. Some hybrids now offer daytime flowering with blooms in a variety of shades.

Nicotiana unfold their inflorescences, displaying loose, raceme-like cymes. The long calyx made up of 5 fused sepals, encircles the base of the corolla and once the flower wilts, hosts the tiny seeds. The corolla is composed of 5 petals fused into a tube that divide, flaring sharply into 5 slightly indented lobes that form stars from which 5 long stamens shoot out. As for the leaves, they are often covered with a short glandular down which exude a viscous, sticky substance.

Nicotiana sylvestris is an astonishing variety that blooms all summer, from July to end of September, in a profusion of long, white trumpet-shaped flowers that hang down in cascades and that are deliciously scented. Each flower measures almost 10 cm in length and 3 cm in diameter. Its impressive medium green leaves can literally be described as being gigantic. They reach 45 cm in length for the lowest ones but are much smaller on the stems. The plant will blithely grow to 1.50 metres.

Nicotiana love full sun or light shade in well-drained soil that is consistently moist without being wet and positions sheltered from the wind. They will look wonderful in mixed borders, bed edges or in large container displays on a patio. They are an unparalleled choice for scented gardens, accompanied by Mirabilis jalapa, Datura meteloides, the spider flower Cleome Colour Fountain or the Matthiola bicornis also known as Evening Scented Stock, each playing its part in an olfactory symphony.

Did you know that the way Nicotiana plants are pollinated is directly related to the nicotine content of the flowers? Indeed, research has shown that varieties with low levels of nicotine need bees, butterflies etc. to pollinate them. In fact, the scent of the flowers is supposed to attract them. On the other hand, varieties with very high levels of nicotine can be lethal to insects. They have since then adapted by turning to self-pollination. How else can this be achieved if the handiwork of the pollinator is compromised?

Warning: seeds are best meant for very experienced gardeners who are used to sowing very fine seeds. These seeds are as fine as dust and are hardly visible to the naked eye.