Nicotiana alata
tobacco plant
- Position: full sun or partial shade
- Soil: moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil, or general-purpose compost
- Rate of growth: fast
- Flowering period: May to October
- Hardiness: tender (will need frost protection)
Masses of showy, five-petalled flowers in stunning white appear from May to October, known for their wonderful heady perfume at night. Easy-to-grow, they're ideal for a sunny mixed or annual border on a moist, but well-drained site.
Pot up seedlings and cuttings and grow on under glass until all risk of frost has passed and they can then either be planted outside into a well-prepared bed, or used to fill decorative pots and hanging baskets for the patio. Pinching out the growing tips will encourage them to become bushier, and feeding with a high-potash fertiliser at regular intervals throughout the summer will promote even more flowers to form. Although usually grown as an annual, plants that are protected with a dry mulch may survive mild winters where temperatures only occasionally fall below -5°C (23°F).
- Humans/Pets: Harmful if eaten; avoid skin contact