Scientific Name:
Nicotiana alata
Pronunciation:
nih-koe-shee-AY-nuh uh-LAY-tuh
Common Name:
flowering tobacco, jasmine tobacco
Family Name:
Solanaceae
Plant Type:
Annual
Key ID Features:
Plants spindly-looking, open and airy, mostly 1-1.2m tall by mid-summer; leaves large with winged petioles - basal leaves spatulate, up to 30cm long and stem leaves ovate, up to 20cm long, sessile; florets salverform - tubes 7-9cm long and petal lobes 1.5-2cm long (open at night to release jasmine-like scent).
Habit:
Upright
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Medium - coarse
Mature Height:
0.4 - 0.7m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
South America
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 10: (-1 to 4 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun only if soil kept moist, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Humus rich, Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Attract birds, Attract butterflies, Bedding plant, Fragrance, Mixed shrub border, Perennial border (Caution: poisonous parts)
Additional Info:
Google. Compare to N. sylvestris (robust, rigid stem, taller).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate, Basal, Sessile
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Pubescent
Shapes:
Ovate, Spatulate
Apices:
Acute, Obtuse, Rounded
Bases:
Truncate
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Raceme, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Salverform
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Green-yellow, Purple, Pink, Red, Dark-red
Flower Scent:
Sweet
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Bark Morphology:
Smooth
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Propagation:
Seed
Pest Susceptibility:
Virus (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant)
Specific Pests:
Tobacco mosaic virus (do not plant near vegetables in the Solanaceae)
