Nicotiana alata |
Origin: South America
Zone Range: 9-11
Preferred Situation: Sunny to partial shady warm sites; well draining garden soils
Harvest Date: Sunday 06 January, 2008
Description:
The sweetly scented blooms of this tender perennial planted in Victorian gardens to perfume the air during the cooler parts of the day/evening to heighten the delights of the evening stroll. This selection has great trusses of flowers of dark maroon, pinks and pale creamy lime on individual plants. An annual in colder climates, but it will bloom up to the first killing frost.
Notes:
Also known as Night-scented Tobacco, this native of Brazil was introduced into garden cultivation in England in 1829.
Cultivation:
Start indoors by surface sowing and misting the seed well into the medium. Keep moist. Provide indirect light and 18-22C to germinate. Should sprout in 7-14 days (if not sooner). Sow thinly and use deep celled inserts or pots as this species doesn't like its roots disturbed too much, so it should be given minimal handling. Transplant out after last frost. Alternately, sow outdoors in fall and thin the seedlings in the spring.
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