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Solanaceae
Flowering Tobacco
Nicotiana alata
Solitude, evening peace, hidden depth.
- Family
- Solanaceae
- Genus
- Nicotiana
- Native to
- South America
- Bloom season
- Summer, Fall
- Type
- Annual or short-lived perennial
- Height
- 60–150 cm
- Sunlight
- Full sun to part shade
- Soil
- Rich, moist, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Hardiness
- 10–11; grown as annual elsewhere
- Lifespan
- One season
Did you know
- The white-flowered species opens at dusk and releases an intoxicating jasmine-like fragrance to attract sphinx moths and other night pollinators.
- It's a close relative of the tobacco plant whose dried leaves are smoked, but flowering tobacco is grown purely for its blooms and scent.
- Charles Darwin studied nicotianas while developing his theories on cross-pollination and self-fertilization.
- Hummingbirds love the long-throated trumpet flowers of red varieties, which evolved alongside specific hummingbird species.
- The leaves contain nicotine and have been used as a natural pesticide for centuries.
Color meanings
White
Sweet evenings