Nicotiana rustica aka Aztec Tobacco

Nicotiana rustica is an annual in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Its common names include wild tobacco and Aztec tobacco. Kew lists Peru as its native range. Other records also place it in Bolivia and Ecuador. Its original wild habitat remains unclear. It has spread into eastern North America beyond cultivation. There, it grows on open ground and waste sites. People grew it in the Americas before Europeans arrived.

The plant grows upright and branches above a shallow root system. Its roots spread widely and often send up suckers. Garden references give a height of about 5 feet [1.5 metres]. In tropical settings, it can reach about 6 feet [1.8 metres]. Plants stay shorter when grown outside the tropics. It grows for one season rather than forming a lasting shrub. Growers raise it in beds as well as crop fields.

Flowers appear from July to September in the PFAF account. Each flower has both male and female organs. Moths and butterflies pollinate the flowers, and the plant forms seed capsules. PFAF reports that flowering needs more than 14 hours of daylight. This need for long days matters when choosing a growing site. The plant grows in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions. It prefers warmth but remains tender to frost. PFAF lists USDA zones 7–10.

Choose a sunny site with deep, rich soil. The soil should stay moist but drain well. Sand, loam, and clay can all support growth. It accepts mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline soils. Useful Tropical Plants gives a preferred pH of 5.5–6. Sow seeds on the surface under glass before spring planting. PFAF suggests starting about ten weeks before the last expected frost. Seeds sprout in 10–20 days at 20°C. Plant seedlings outdoors only after the risk of frost passes.

This tobacco has a long history as a nicotine crop. People have dried its leaves for smoking, chewing, and snuff. Growers have also extracted nicotine for use against insects. Traditional medicine used leaf washes and poultices for several ailments. These uses do not make the plant safe to eat. PFAF records no edible use and calls every part poisonous. Nicotine poisoning can cause vomiting, dizziness, collapse, and breathing failure. Treat its medicinal history as a record, not home-treatment advice.