Last updated on December 2nd, 2011
If you are fond of botanical skyscrapers, then by all means obtain Nicotiana sylvestris, the tallest of the white, evening-scented flowering tobacco species. It is ideally suited for the back of the flower border, with companions of blue delphinium and tall, purple asters. In May, I unwittingly planted a trio of two-inch tall sylvestris seedlings in front of the dwarf lilac hedge in the Serpentine Garden. The youngsters didn’t budge for eight weeks. In early August, however, they exploded into a fury of leafy rosettes, these bearing multitudes of white candelabras atop six-foot tall stems! Not exactly the picture I had in mind, but they do shed light and perfume on all who ascend this garden.
I also planted seedlings beneath the Yoshino cherry. There, dwarfed by the ten-foot tall tree, they make a pleasant vista. And because a bench exists before the tree, there is an invitation to sit in nicotiana’s scented glow while sipping a cocktail, or conversing with a friend.
To achieve its full, Paul Bunyonesque potential, plant sylvestris in rich but well-draining soil,and in full sun. And do be patient. As I have said, seedlings tend to remain small until their sudden burst at summer’s end.
And speaking of seedlings, sylvestris, like all nicotianas, self-sows freely. Thus one plant will produce many the following year. These will undoubtedly emerge where you least desire them, in the cracks of a walkway, in lawns and elsewhere. Watch for seedlings in late spring, and then transplant to areas where both height and evening scent are welcome.
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The Serpentine Garden
Loving My Lilacs
Justin says
I have a small nicotiana with beautiful pale red flowers, but it isn't really fragrant at all. Maybe I'll try this large species next year.
Holly says
Oh, to sit in your garden at night, enveloped in the scent of nicotiana…sounds delightful!
Eric says
I'm jealous! I planted sylvestris in early June (from seedlings) and they have YET to do anything! They are still small, and no flower stalks in sight. I've given up on them.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Eric – so sorry about your nicotianas! A friend told me that his plants didn't perform well, either. I wonder if the abundant rainfall we've endured this summer played a role? My plants are on a well-draining slope, which might explain why they grew and flowered well.
Laura says
Kevin, your garden must smell divine.