manyflower tobacco
Nicotiana acuminata (Graham) Hook.
Manyflower tobacco has sticky-haired stems and foliage, with flowers opening toward dusk. In western North America, Flora of North America describes robust annual plants growing from a loose basal rosette. Stems branch near the base and can reach about 0.5–2 m, with the lower branches often the longest. Flora of North America: Nicotiana acuminata
Botanical name
Nicotiana acuminata (Graham) Hook. is accepted in Solanaceae. The supplied name matches the current Kew treatment. Kew Plants of the World Online: Nicotiana acuminata
Recognizing the plant
Rosette leaves are broad, while leaves farther up the stem become lance-shaped and progressively narrower near the inflorescence. Long white floral tubes widen into a spreading, shallowly lobed face, sometimes with greenish-purple tinges or stripes. The calyx has strong purple veins. Broadly egg-shaped capsules mature within a calyx that tears between its lobes and covers about half the fruit. Flora of North America: Nicotiana acuminata
Bloom window
Introduced western North American populations
Flora of North America records flowering from December to July in its introduced range. Flora of North America: Nicotiana acuminata
Native range
Current Kew treatment places the native range in northern and central Chile and parts of Argentina. The species is naturalized on the Pacific side of North America, from Baja California to Washington. There it occupies open sandy or gravelly ground, from sea level to about 2,000 m. Kew Plants of the World Online: Nicotiana acuminataFlora of North America: Nicotiana acuminata
Botanical sources
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.