Nicotiana

Key facts and history

The 67 species of Nicotiana hail from Australia, North America, and tropical South America.^[4] Older nicotiana species are valued for their impressive stature and deliciously scented flowers that open in early evening.^[2] In Victorian times, Nicotiana sylvestris was planted along walkways so strollers could enjoy its sweet fragrance.^[2] The first ornamental nicotiana to gain garden popularity was Nicotiana alata.^[2]

Nicotiana alata gets its species name from the Latin alata, meaning winged, for the winged petioles of the leaves.^[2] Most species of nicotianas are tall plants reaching up to 5 feet in height, while newer hybrids stay around 12 to 18 inches tall.^[2] In 1979, 'Nicki Red' was the first nicotiana to win an All-America Selections award.^[2] Nicotiana glauca is a much branched shrub or small tree that normally grows to a height of more than 2 m.^[5]

Nicotiana glauca poses a threat to biodiversity by competing with native species for resources and displacing native plants.^[5]

What the research sources say

The National Garden Bureau notes that older nicotiana species are valued for their impressive stature and deliciously scented flowers that open in early evening.^[2] The BioNET-EAFRINET key states that Nicotiana glauca is naturalised in Australia, warmer parts of Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, temperate Asia, New Zealand, USA, Mexico and Hawaii.^[5] The same source reports that Nicotiana glauca grows in a wide variety of open and disturbed habitats including roadsides and lakeshores.^[5] Fine Gardening records that the 67 species of Nicotiana hail from Australia, North America, and tropical South America.^[4]

The National Garden Bureau describes Nicotiana alata as a short-lived perennial most often grown as an annual.^[2]