Nicotiana sanderae Seeds | Sander’s Tobacco
LATIN NAME: Nicotiana sanderae
COMMON NAME: Sander’s Tobacco
Plant Profile
Known to gardeners as Sander’s Tobacco, Nicotiana sanderae is an upright, bushy annual in the nightshade family. It grows quickly into leafy, rounded form, and it stands warm nights well. It likes sun or light shade, and moist, well-drained soil. Through the flowering season it keeps visiting bees well supplied. All of this makes Sander’s Tobacco a satisfying plant to grow and to get to know.
Science & Biotechnology
Within the nightshade family, Nicotiana sanderae is of continuing interest to researchers working on plant diversity, seed biology and the selection of improved garden forms. Evening-scented flowers of the Sander’s tobacco give it a recognised place in research on ornamental tobacco hybrids of nightshade family, and sanderae species appears in studies of dusk-opening blooms and scent release. Gardeners benefit directly from its long cultivation: what the plant will do in a garden is well understood.
Uses & Benefits
Sander’s Tobacco works well in borders, containers and dedicated beds. In evening garden, the Sander’s tobacco bells summer evening with scented flowers. Pink and crimson trumpets open through summer, nectar feeds dusk moths, and plant makes fine border and tub plant. It grows well in moist, well-drained, sunny or lightly shaded ground. It establishes readily and then requires nothing out of the ordinary.
Tobacco is a historically important, powerfully addictive plant; the ornamental flowering tobaccos are grown for their evening fragrance, and all parts are toxic if ingested.
Growing from Seed
Sander’s Tobacco is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. Use a fine, free-draining seed compost, scatter the seed evenly, cover it lightly and hold it just moist in good light. Transplant the sturdiest seedlings to their permanent spots and let them develop without disturbance.
Our Take
Being an upright, bushy annual, it asks for a permanent spot and repays it yearly. Sander’s Tobacco has real presence in the garden without demanding much in return. In a sunny, freely drained position it needs little looking after.
Related Reading
More species in the same orbit as Sander’s Tobacco: