Nicotiana...an annual plant that adds vibrant color to any flowerbed garden design...

The above image is from my garden taken August 19, 2009. The Red and Purple Nicotiana beside Ribbon Grass.

About The Nicotiana

Plant the Nicotiana or the Tobacco Plant. These sturdy, star shaped and scented flowers are easy to grow in any garden. In our prairie climate (zone 3) any annual bedding plant like this, which has a moderate frost tolerance, gets planted in my garden.

Besides this attribute, the star shaped flowers have a jasmine-like scent that is most noticeable in the evening, especially with the white variety.

How To Grow The Nicotiana

I plant the compact (Saratoga Red), which grows to 10" to 12" tall in mass in my middle, mounded garden and from a distance the red coloring is stunning.

I have also planted the taller version that grows to 18" tall (in above image). My choice clearly remains the shorter Saratoga Red. The taller variety gets far too leggy and flops over in the garden making it very difficult to deadhead.

Because the Nicotiana prefers a rich soil, I always add my 5 way Garden Soil mix to the flowerbed and I keep the plants regularly watered. I find that they don't do as well if allowed to dry out.

This annual offers the following colors:

I always make sure to deadhead as this really keeps the blooms coming. Besides I find that deadheading is good mental therapy...even if my back aches afterwards. However, if planted in mass, deadheading can be next to impossible. Actually, if you wait long enough, the spent, dried flowers will drop and in some cases the seed pods will fall off as well.

Some great companion plants are: Salvia Victoria Blue, Ageratum Blue Horizon, Dusty Miller or the Sedum Angelina.

Check out my Site Index Page for a listing of additional annuals and perennials to plant in your flower garden design.

Nicotiana Features:

• prefers full sun but will tolerate part sun
• prefers rich, moist soil
• great for pots or flower gardens
• rarely bothered by pests
• fragrant, especially the white
• plant in mass/clusters for best effect
• also called the flowering tobacco plant because of its relation to the commercially grown tobacco plant
• also related to the Petunia family, same type of sticky foliage

Related pages:

Go back from Nicotiana Page to Gardening and Landscaping Makeover Home Page

Can't find what you are looking for? Use the Search Box below and thanks for visiting my web site.

Please visit again and why not 'Bookmark' this site as a favorite...makes it easy to find us again.