How to Grow Flowering Tobacco

Planting flowering tobacco (Nicotiana alata) in your garden is one habit you won't want to break. Nicotiana's lovely tubular blooms attract hummingbirds with their colors and gardeners with their evening fragrance. Its undemanding nature is always appreciated and flowering tobacco has become a favorite annual for flower beds, planters and window boxes. Flowering tobacco will light up your garden if you follow these easy steps.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Flowering tobacco plants
• Garden trowel
• Water
• Mulch or other organic material

1. Choose a planting site. Flowering tobacco grows well in most well-drained soil. Select a location where its evening fragrance can be enjoyed and that receives full sun or partial shade. By choosing a planting site before purchasing your plants you can determine the number of Nicotiana needed for the area.

2. Purchase the plants. Flats of flowering tobacco containing individual plugs of the flower are readily available at nurseries and garden centers in spring. Available colors are usually white, pink, red, purple or salmon. Nicotiana is an annual that is hardy in all zones and blooms from summer to the first frost.

3. Plant the plugs. Use a garden trowel to dig a small hole slightly larger than the soil covered roots and at the same depth they were growing. Gently backfill the original soil and firm the soil around the transplant with your hands.

4. Water the transplants and cover with a thin layer of mulch. Water flowering tobacco regularly during dry periods.

Tips & Warnings

• Nicotiana is a self-sower and will come back the next season.
• Flowering tobacco grows to heights ranging from 12 inches to 6 feet. Shorter varieties of Nicotiana are usually less fragrant. The taller varieties are best located in the back of the garden and may need staking. Check the plant tags or package carefully when purchasing flowering tobacco plants and seeds for detailed information on the variety.