How to identify Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)

How to identify Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)

Tobacco exhibits a propensity for lanky growth, reaching an impressive stature with stems that may require staking in gardens. The plant unveils aromatic, night-blooming flowers, which exude their fragrance after dusk. It is partial to consistently moist, nutrient-dense, and well-draining soil, flourishing in areas receiving full sunlight to partial shade. In regions with intense midday heat, tobacco prospers with some respite from the afternoon sun. While it can be an annual, in some climates it takes on the form of a tender perennial.

Lifespan: Annual, Perennial

Plant Type: Herb

Leaf Type: Deciduous

Quickly Identify Tobacco

Large, sticky leaves with ovate-lanceolate shape and visible veins, measuring 2-20 inches (5-50 cm).

Tubular flowers in cream, pink, or green-white, with a diameter of 0.4 inches (1 cm).

Dehiscent capsules, oval to round, split into two parts when mature, containing 2000-5000 seeds.

Night-blooming flowers exuding fragrance after dusk, arranged in branched thyrsoid panicles.

Prefers moist, nutrient-dense, well-draining soil, reaching impressive stature with robust lanky growth.

Detailed Traits of Tobacco

Leaf Features

Tobacco leaves are large, alternate, and simple, covered with sticky hairs. They measure between 2-20 inches (5-50 cm) in length and 2-10 inches (5-25 cm) in width, with an ovate-lanceolate to elliptical shape. The leaf edges are smooth, giving a distinct entire margin. The leaf texture is notably sticky due to the presence of glandular hairs. Veins are prominently visible, creating a network that supports the broad leaf structure.

Leaf Shape

Ovate ,

Elliptic ,

Circular ,

Oblong

Leaf Base

Cuneate

Leaf Arrangement

Alternate

Leaf Apex

Acuminate

Leaf Margin

Entire

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Flower Features

The flowers of tobacco are tubular and funnel-shaped, displaying a range of colors from cream, pink, and green-white to sometimes red, yellowish, or greenish. They are yellowish near the base with light pink (sometimes other colors) lobes at the top, dividing into pointed, unequal lobes. Their tubular corolla measures approximately 0.4 inches (1 cm) in diameter. Up to 150 flowers can be found arranged in branched inflorescences known as thyrsoid panicles, offering a visually striking appearance.

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Fruit Features

The fruit of tobacco is a dry, dehiscent capsule measuring about 0.6-0.8 inches (1.5-2 cm) in length. These capsules are oval to round, resembling an egg in shape, and typically split into two parts when mature, releasing numerous seeds. Each capsule is densely packed with approximately 2000-5000 seeds. The seeds themselves are small, with a light to dark brown hue and an egg-shaped to round form. Such fruit characteristics are vital for the proper identification of tobacco's fruit.

Learn About the Fruit Glossary

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Tobacco and Their Similar Plants

Tree tobacco vs. Tobacco: What's The Difference?

Tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca) is a wild tobacco species native to South America. On other continents, tree tobacco is considered an invasive species. All parts of this plant are poisonous.

Flowering tobacco vs. Tobacco: What's The Difference?

Flowering tobacco (Nicotiana alata) is native to Central and South America. Unlike its more famous cousin, flowering tobacco is primarily used as a fragrant ornamental flower. The blooms can come in shades of red, pink, yellow, white, or lime green. Flowering tobacco should be kept away from other plants of the nightshade family due to the potential to transfer a viral infection.

South american tobacco vs. Tobacco: What's The Difference?

It is a tall plant, growing to 1.5 m high by 50 cm broad. The leaves are simple, somewhat sticky, with the blade partially surrounding the stem, clasping petiole. Flowers are produced on many-branched stems. The flowers are tubular, white, borne in racemes held above the foliage. Flowers can be over 7 cm long with a face 2 cm wide.

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Key Facts About Tobacco

Attributes of Tobacco

Lifespan

Annual, Perennial

Plant Type

Herb

Plant Height

70 cm to 2 m

Flower Color

Pink

Stem Color

Cream

Leaf type

Deciduous

The Toxicity of Tobacco

Moderate Toxic to Humans

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Scientific Classification of Tobacco

Phylum

Vascular plants

Class

Dicotyledons

Order

Nightshades, bindweeds, gooseweeds, and allies

Family

Nightshade

Genus

Tobacco plants

Species

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)

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Distribution Map of Tobacco

Tobacco, a globally distributed plant, is indigenous to South America with its native range largely confined to the north of the continent. It has since been introduced to various regions across all continents, highlighting its extensive cultivation and adaptability. In certain areas where tobacco has been introduced, it is sometimes thought to be a plant that may have an impact on local ecosystems. Its cultivation, being widespread, underlines the plant's significance in those areas, yet it does raise considerations regarding ecological effects.

Native

Cultivated

Invasive

Potentially invasive

Exotic

No species reported

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A Comprehensive Guide to Tobacco How to Grow and Care for Tobacco