(Nicotiana sylvestris ‘Only the Lonely’)
Only the Lonely Tobacco is a tender perennial rosette-forming flower that is native to South America but can be found growing in the state of New York. At maturity, this plant can reach a height of 3-5'. It features 15” long coarse oblong leaves and clusters of aromatic white trumpet-shaped flowers. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and pollinating moths, is resistant to deer, self-sows, and is used as a cut flower!
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General Information
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Germination
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Seedlings
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Harvesting
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Seed Saving
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Companion Planting
Genus: Nicotiana
Species: sylvestris
Variety: Only the Lonely Tobacco
Also Known As: Night Scented Tobacco, Woodland Tobacco, Flowering Tobacco, white shooting stars, and South American Tobacco.
Native to: Argentina Northwest, Bolivia.
Introduced into: Great Britain, New York.
Easy of Growing: Easy
Grown as: Tender perennial that is winter hardy to USDA Zones 10-11. Otherwise, it is grown as an annual.
Maturity (Blooms): June to frost
Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water: Medium
Soil Moisture: Medium. Rich, consistently moist, well-drained soil.
Maintenance: Low
Beneficial Insects?: Yes. Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, and sphinx moths. It also resistant to deer.
Containers?: Yes
Height: 36-48"
Spacing: 18-24"
Sow Depth: On soil surface
USDA Zone: 2-9 Annual
10-11 Perennial
Produces: 15” long coarse oblong leaves and clusters of aromatic white trumpet-shaped flowers.
Garden Uses: Mass in borders or cottage gardens. Site near a patio, deck or sidewalk to enjoy the fragrant flowers.
consistently moist, organically rich, well-drained soil.
Copious amounts of tiny seed are produced from each pollinated flower, held in a rounded capsule surrounded by the persistent calyx. The very small brown seeds are ovoid to kidney shaped. This species self-seeds readily, but the seedlings are easy to identify and pull if unwanted, so volunteers are not a big problem in gardens in cold climates, but it can be problematic in other areas where it can naturalize in open, disturbed areas
Combine them with other tall, late-summer bloomers such as cleome, cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus), Verbena bonariensis, late-blooming shrub roses, and ornamental grasses, or use them to fill in gaps left by spring bulbs or spring blooming perennials that go dormant later on, such as Oriental poppy (Papaver orientalis). Their large leaves provide coarse texture that contrasts well with other plants with small leaves or fine texture.
Tobacco has some pests, including aphids and tobacco hornworm, as well as a few diseases, but these generally are not serious.
Do not site these plants near vegetable gardens with other nightshade family members (eggplant, tomato, potato, or peppers) because of susceptibility to and possible transmission of common viruses.
Suggested Varieties
(Cleomella serrulata ‘Rocky Mountain’)
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Rocky Mountain Bee Plant is a gorgeous native annual flower commonly found growing in open prairies throughout the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches a height of 3-4' and features an erect stem, leafy branches, and beautiful clusters of large pink flowers. This plant attracts bees, birds, and butterflies to your garden, is a larval host for the checkered-white butterfly, is both edible and medicinal, is resistant to deer and rabbits, is used as a cut flower, and makes dye!
(Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Candy Stripe’)
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Candy Stripe Cosmos is an annual warm-weather flower that is native to Mexico but can commonly be found growing throughout the southern and northeastern United States. At maturity, this plant reaches a height of 3-6' and features finely divided, feathery-green foliage and white petaled with pink edged flowers with yellow centers. This plant attracts bees, birds, butterflies, ladybugs, pollinating moths, and predatory wasps, tolerates drought, self-sows, and is used as a cut flower!
(Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Radiance’)
Radiance Cosmos is an annual warm-weather flower native to Mexico but can commonly be found growing along roadsides and railroads throughout the southern and northeastern United States. At maturity, this plant reaches a height of 3-6' and features finely divided, feathery green foliage and 2-3” flowers with yellow centers and scallop-edged petals of medium pink that darken too bright pink or fuchsia at the center. This plant attracts bees, birds, butterflies, ladybugs, pollinating moths, and predatory wasps, tolerates drought, self-sows, and is used as a cut flower!