Description
Nicotiana sylvestris | Woodland Tobacco ‘Only the Lonely’
There are over 65 species of Tobacco that hail from Australia, North America, and tropical South America. They are attractive plants with beautiful flowers and appealing foliage. All of them have tubular or trumpet-shaped flowers that come in nearly every color and most often open during the evening and and nighttime hours, sometimes releasing a pleasant fragrance. They can be used as specimen or bedding plants, in borders, woodland gardens, in containers, or for planting in masses or even as a focal point.
‘Only the Lonely’ tobacco, commonly referred to as the Woodland Tobacco or South American Tobacco, is an ornamental, warm-weather, half-hardy annual with huge deep-green leaves, which reach maturity when the blooms appear at 55 days. The clusters of long, tubular blooms are intensely fragrant, which draws in pollinators and hawk moths in the evenings. When in peak-bloom, each flower head resembles a graceful explosion. Grows best in full sun in average, well-drained soil, but will tolerate light shade. Best to start seeds indoors then transplant out. Roots are hardy to around 27 F.
‘Only the Lonely’ has been awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM). Great for cottage/informal beds and borders, and low maintenance and sub-tropical beds. Attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, and hawk-moths. Deer resistant.
Nicotiana sylvestris is a parent of cultivated tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum.
Type: Annual or perennial
Sun exposure: Full sun
Mature height: 4-6 ft
Mature width: 2-3 ft
Hardiness zones: 9-11
Please note: All tobaccos should be considered poisonous to consume (smoking brings its own risks); some are extremely poisonous and have caused fatalities. Poisoning through intentional or accidental misuse of nicotine and products containing it is a relatively common occurrence. Related species may contain other toxic alkaloids, chemically similar to nicotine, so it is for this reason we suggest that you enjoy Nicotiana sylvestris and other ornamental species of tobacco for their flowers only. Do NOT smoke these leaves.