Nicotiana glauca
| Nicotiana glauca | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 10' |
| Width: | 10' |
| Blooms: | Late Summer-Mid Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Nicotiana glauca (common name: tree tobacco)
Propagation: Seed - surface sow in a warm greenhouse about 10 weeks before the last expected spring frosts. The seed usually germinates in 10 - 20 days at 20°c. Keep the soil moist and pot up as soon as the plants are big enough to handle, planting them out after the last expected frosts.
Cultivation: Prefers a well-drained deep rich moist soil in a sunny position[1][2].
This species is hardy to about -5°c[2]. Plants can survive the winter outdoors in the milder parts of Britain, though they usually act as herbaceous perennials in such conditions[2].
Plants require more than 14 hours daylight per day in order to induce flowering[3].
Range: S. America - S. Bolivia to N. Argentina. Naturalized in the Mediterranean.
Habitat: Rocks, walls and roadsides in the Mediterranean[4].
Edibility: The leaves have been made into a drink[5]. Some care should be exercised here. The tea will contain nicotine and this can be toxic to the body.
Medicinal: A poultice of the leaves can be applied to cuts, bruises, swellings and other wounds[5]. The plant has been used as a poultice for removing the pus from scrofulous sores or boils[5]. A poultice of the leaves has been applied to inflamed throat glands[5].
An infusion of the leaves has been used as a steam bath in the treatment of rheumatism[5].
Usage: All parts of the plant contain nicotine, this has been extracted and used as an insecticide[6][7].
Pollinators: Lepidoptera
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Seed Ripens: Early Fall-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: All parts of the plant are poisonous[2].
Links
References
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Buchanan, Rita. A Weavers Garden.
- ↑ Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.