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Starmaker Series Nicotiana brings a touch of South American tropical elegance to gardens in zones 7 through 11. These compact, 12-inch tall annuals produce abundant flowers over 60 to 69 days, creating a neat bushy form that works equally well in garden beds, containers, or as fresh-cut flowers. Unlike taller nicotiana varieties, Starmaker stays proportioned and manageable, delivering ornamental impact without sprawling across the garden. The series combines classic charm with practical vigor, thriving in full sun and rewarding gardeners with flowers that add an exotic accent to any space.
Full Sun
Moderate
7-11
12in H x ?in W
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High
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Starmaker Series nicotiana grows as a vigorous, compact annual that reaches just 12 inches tall yet produces generous flowering throughout the season. The combination of durable growth habit and ornamental appeal makes it equally at home in a cutting garden, decorative container, or mixed bed. These seeds deliver flowers ready for harvest in about two months, offering one of the faster nicotianas from seed to bloom.
Starmaker Series Nicotiana is grown primarily as an ornamental flower crop. The blooms excel in fresh-cut arrangements and bouquets, where their delicate flowers and exotic appearance add visual interest to floral designs. Gardeners also use them as accent plants in borders and containers, appreciating how the neat, bushy form and continuous flowering season create reliable color and texture throughout summer and into fall.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start Nicotiana seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Sow seeds on the soil surface or barely press them in, as light promotes germination. Maintain soil temperature around 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and keep the soil consistently moist. Seedlings typically emerge in 10 to 14 days.
Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days. Transplant outdoors after the last frost date when soil has warmed to at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Space plants 12 inches apart, with 24 inches between rows. Handle seedlings gently, as they can be fragile.
Direct sow seeds outdoors after the last frost date, pressing them gently onto the soil surface. Keep the seed bed consistently moist until germination occurs. Thin seedlings to 12 inches apart once they are large enough to handle.
Pinch back the growing tips of young plants when they reach 4 to 6 inches tall to encourage branching and create a fuller, bushier form. This technique increases flowering sites and produces a more compact plant. Deadhead spent flowers regularly to promote continuous blooming throughout the season.
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“Nicotiana alata, the parent species, originates from South America's tropical regions. The Starmaker Series represents a modern hybrid breeding effort designed to create ornamental nicotiana that remains compact and manageable while maintaining the vigorous, floriferous character that makes the genus valuable in gardens. This series was developed to capture the exotic appeal of taller varieties while offering gardeners a plant that fits contemporary garden designs and container cultivation.”