Nicotiana sylvestris, commonly called flowering tobacco or white shooting stars, is a vigorous perennial that grows 3 to 5 feet tall in zones 10-11, or thrives as a summer annual in cooler climates. Its most striking feature is the pendant clusters of long-tubed, trumpet-shaped white flowers that bloom from June through frost, releasing a strong fragrance that intensifies in the evening. The coarse basal leaves can reach 15 inches long, creating a bold rosette at the plant's base. In consistently moist, organically rich soil with full sun to partial shade, this plant becomes a magnet for butterflies and hummingbirds, transforming late summer borders with both fragrance and movement.
Partial Sun
Moderate
10-11
60in H x 24in W
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Moderate
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The evening fragrance of these white trumpet flowers is genuinely intoxicating, a detail that separates flowering tobacco from purely ornamental plants. Growing 3 to 5 feet tall with delicate, pendant flower clusters, it brings vertical drama and nocturnal scent to gardens where many other plants have faded. Starting from seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost date gets you blooms by summer, and in mild zones 10-11, you can grow it as a true perennial that returns year after year.
Flowering tobacco is grown primarily for its ornamental and fragrant qualities rather than culinary use. The pendant clusters of white trumpet flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds throughout the growing season, and the strong evening fragrance makes it particularly valued in borders where scent matters as much as visual appeal.
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Sow seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost date. Germinate at temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost date has passed.
Set out seedlings or purchased plants after the last frost date in consistently moist, organically rich, well-drained soil. Space according to mature width of 12 to 24 inches. Harden off seedlings before transplanting to help them adjust to outdoor conditions.
Seed may be sown directly in the garden after the last frost date.
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