Nicotiana tabacum
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- nih-ko-tee-AY-nah tah-BAH-kum
- This plant has high severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Java Tobacco is a flowering herbaceous perennial or annual small tree or shrub, native to Bolivia in South America, and in the nightshade family. It can reach a mature height of 10 feet with sweetly fragrant flowers that open at night from summer into fall. It is a short-day plant that only flowers when the daily period of light is shorter than some critical length. The plant can have a spindly growth habit. It is commonly grown throughout the world and its leaves are the source for commercially grown tobacco.
Java Tobacco does best in consistently moist, organically rich, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade, with some afternoon shade in hot summer climates. It will tolerate most soil types as long as they are well drained.
Java Tobacco does not tolerate temperatures below mid-20s F, so it is often grown as an annual ornamental. It has mostly been replaced in the landscape by shorter varieties that open during the day and have no fragrance.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:
No serious diseases or insect pests; however, it is susceptible to tobacco mosaic virus.
- See this plant in the following landscape :
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Nicotiana
- Species:
- tabacum
- Family:
- Solanaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Source of commercially grown tobacco leaves.
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Bolivia
- Distribution:
- Northern and central South America, Mexico, eastern United States north to Virginia, Africa, India, Europe
- Wildlife Value:
- Resistant to deer. Pollinated by bees, moths, and butterflies.
- Edibility:
- All parts of the plant are poisonous.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Poisonous
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Semi-evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Description:
- Produces many minute seeds.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Green
- Pink
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Tubular
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- Flowers are tubular, cream, pink, or green-white, 5-lobed at the top. Bloom on multi-branched panicle.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Semi-evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Velvety
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Ovate
- Spatulate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are large, up to 18 inches, alternate, simple, with sticky hairs. Harvested for commercial tobacco.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Stems are thick and not very branched
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Patio
- Landscape Theme:
- Nighttime Garden
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Moths
- Pollinators
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Problems:
- Poisonous to Humans
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- High
- Poison Symptoms:
- HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN! Vomiting, diarrhea, slow pulse, dizziness, collapse, and respiratory failure may occur if eaten.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Nicotine and other alkaloids
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Flowers
- Leaves
