Cultivated Tobacco

Nicotiana tabacum

Cultivated Tobacco

Jom / Joachim Müllerchen

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Solanaceae
Genus:
Nicotiana
Species:
Nicotiana tabacum

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Annual | Perennial
Growth Habit:
Forb/herb
Height:
6-8 ft
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
High
Bloom Months:
jun, jul, aug, sep, oct, nov
Bloom Colors:
pink, white

Native Range

United States: California, Connecticut, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Palau, South Carolina, Texas, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, Virginia, Virgin Islands, Canada: Ontario

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Agrotis venerabilis, bicolored sallow (Sunira bicolorago), black clouded moth (Choephora fungorum), Black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon), Black zigzag (Panthea acronyctoides), Cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni), Cacao moth (Ephestia elutella), clandestine dart (Spaelotis clandestina), clover cutworm (Agrotis gladiaria), corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), darksided cutworm (Euxoa messoria), Deterred Dart (Euxoa detersa), dingy cutworm (Feltia jaculifera), Eggplant Webworm Moth (Rhectocraspeda periusalis), Euxoa bostoniensis, Euxoa tessellata, Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), Five-spotted hawk moth (Manduca quinquemaculatus), glassy cutworm (Apamea devastator), Gothic dart (Feltia subgothica), Green Cutworm (Anicla infecta), Hydrangea sphinx (Darapsa versicolor), kidney-spotted minor (Lacinipolia renigera), Lacinipolia meditata, mulberry leaftier moth (Glyphodes sibillalis), nutmeg (Discestra trifolii), Old Man Dart (Agrotis vetusta), Orthodes crenulata, Pale-banded Dart (Agnorisma badinodis), pawpaw sphinx (Dolba hyloeus), Phyllira Tiger Moth (Grammia phyllira), Plebeian Sphinx (Paratrea plebeja), Potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella), Protolampra brunneicollis, Rachiplusia ou, rascal dart moth (Agrotis malefida), Salt Marsh Moth (Estigmene acrea), Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum), Sharp Stigma Looper (Ctenoplusia oxygramma), Sidus sallow (Eupsilia sidus), Southern armyworm (Spodoptera eridania), Soybean Looper (Pseudoplusia includens), stalk borer moth (Papaipema nebris), Striped Garden Caterpillar Moth (Trichordestra legitima), Sweetpotato Armyworm (Spodoptera dolichos), Tobacco budworm (Heliothis virescens), tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta), underworld dart (Agrotis subterranea), Variegated cutworm (Peridroma saucia), Virginia Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica), Yellow-striped armyworm (Spodoptera ornithogalli)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:
5.5 - 6.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
excellent drainage required
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
prefers fertile soils with good organic matter