# manyflower tobacco (*Nicotiana acuminata*)

Manyflower tobacco is a pretty flower with many small blooms. It has a sweet scent and attracts butterflies and bees, making gardens lively and colorful.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![manyflower tobacco](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Nicotianaacuminata.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Anthony Valois and the National Park Service, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nicotianaacuminata.jpg)

## Appearance

The manyflower tobacco is a slender plant with sticky, hairy leaves and many small, trumpet-shaped flowers. These delicate blooms are typically creamy-white to pale yellow, sometimes with a blush of pink, and open mostly at night.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Solanales
- **Family:** Solanaceae
- **Genus:** Nicotiana

## Interesting facts

- Believe it or not, this plant is related to tomatoes and potatoes!
- Its tiny flowers release a powerful perfume after dark!
- Some hawk-moths have super long tongues to sip nectar from these deep flowers!
- This plant's leaves feel sticky, like flypaper, to touch!

## Special abilities

- **Night Perfume:** Manyflower tobacco can release a strong, sweet scent at night that helps it attract thirsty moths for pollination.
- **Sticky Trap Leaves:** Its leaves have tiny sticky hairs that can trap small insects, protecting the plant from pests.
- **Fast Grower:** Manyflower tobacco can grow quickly and produce many seeds, which helps it spread to new open spots very fast.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 100-200 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer to fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** High
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** White-lined Sphinx Moth (*Hyles lineata*) — Adult moths visit flowers for nectar.
- **Eaten by:** Tobacco Hornworm (*Manduca sexta*) — Its larvae feed on the leaves.
- **Eaten by:** Green Peach Aphid (*Myzus persicae*) — Aphids suck sap from the plant.

## Traits

- [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators.
- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always wash your hands after touching flowers, just to be safe!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify manyflower tobacco?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is manyflower tobacco?

100-200 cm

### How wide does manyflower tobacco spread?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on manyflower tobacco?

1-2 cm

### When does manyflower tobacco bloom?

Summer to fall

### Is manyflower tobacco edible?

No

### Is manyflower tobacco toxic?

High

### What is manyflower tobacco's lifecycle?

Annual

## Where to spot

- [Railtown 1897 State Historic Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/railtown-1897-state-historic-park) — California, US · State Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Manyflower Tobacco: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/manyflower-tobacco)