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Adonis Tobacco is a modern heirloom variety bred for a gentler smoke and surprising spice, delivering 60 to 80 days from transplant to a mature plant standing 3 to 5 feet tall. This open-pollinated Nicotiana tabacum grows dense and compact, an adaptation that shields it beautifully from wind and weather stress. Its low nicotine content sets it apart from heavier tobacco varieties, while its naturally spicy character rewards growers with a distinctive, nuanced leaf.
Full Sun
Moderate
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60in H x ?in W
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High
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This dark air-cured tobacco achieves something uncommon: low nicotine without sacrificing flavor or complexity. The plant's low, dense growth habit acts as built-in weather resistance, which means less staking and fewer storm casualties in your garden. Deer leave it alone entirely, and with 500,000 seeds per ounce, one packet contains enough to supply serious growers or experiment widely.
Adonis tobacco is grown primarily for leaf harvest and home curing. The leaves are air-cured, a slow process that develops the plant's spicy notes and allows the low nicotine profile to shine. Growers who hand-roll or pipe smoke tend toward this variety for its refined character and reduced harshness compared to standard tobacco cultivars.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last expected frost. Use a light seed-starting mix and keep it consistently moist but not waterlogged. Adonis seeds are extremely small and need light to germinate, so press them onto the soil surface rather than covering them. Provide bright, indirect light once sprouted.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost date and once soil temperature has warmed to at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Harden off seedlings by exposing them gradually to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days. Space plants 24 inches apart, with rows 36 inches apart.
Harvest leaves once the plant reaches full maturity, typically 60 to 80 days after transplanting. Pick leaves individually as they yellow and begin to show color change, or harvest entire plants by cutting them at the base once all lower and middle leaves show mature color. For air-curing, hang whole plants or bundles of leaves in a warm, well-ventilated space away from direct sunlight, allowing them to dry slowly over several weeks. Properly cured leaves develop deeper color and fuller spice flavor.
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“Adonis represents a recent breeding approach to tobacco cultivation, developed as gardeners and small farmers sought milder, spiced-leaf varieties for home growing and craft curing. Unlike many tobacco heirlooms with decades or centuries of family stewardship, Adonis emerges as a deliberate modern cross, combining the air-curing traditions of heritage tobaccos with breeding for lower alkaloid content. It's classified as a new breed rather than a rediscovered heirloom, reflecting contemporary interest in growing tobacco on a human scale rather than an industrial one.”