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Nicotiana glauca - Graham.

Tree Tobacco

Author	Graham.	Botanical references	200
Family	Solanaceae	Genus	Nicotiana
Synonyms
Known Hazards	All parts of the plant are poisonous[200].
Range	S. America - S. Bolivia to N. Argentina. Naturalized in the Mediterranean.
Habitat	Rocks, walls and roadsides in the Mediterranean[50].
Edibility Rating	1 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	2 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen Shrub growing to 3m by 3m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

The leaves have been made into a drink[257]. Some care should be exercised here. The tea will contain nicotine and this can be toxic to the body.

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Antirheumatic; Poultice; Skin.

A poultice of the leaves can be applied to cuts, bruises, swellings and other wounds[257]. The plant has been used as a poultice for removing the pus from scrofulous sores or boils[257]. A poultice of the leaves has been applied to inflamed throat glands[257]. An infusion of the leaves has been used as a steam bath in the treatment of rheumatism[257].

Other Uses

Insecticide.

All parts of the plant contain nicotine, this has been extracted and used as an insecticide[46, 61].

Cultivation details

Prefers a well-drained deep rich moist soil in a sunny position[1, 200]. This species is hardy to about -5°c[200]. Plants can survive the winter outdoors in the milder parts of Britain, though they usually act as herbaceous perennials in such conditions[200]. Plants require more than 14 hours daylight per day in order to induce flowering[169].

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.

Links

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[169] Buchanan. R. A Weavers Garden. 0
Covers all aspects of growing your own clothes, from fibre plants to dyes.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Nicotiana glauca

F. Goffman Thu Mar 23 2006

N. glauca main alkaloid is not nicotine but anabasine

Nicotiana glauca

jahn Wed Dec 3 2008

it would be good to know how deep the roots of the plant are, there seems to be little online that provides this information.

Nicotiana glauca

Alicia Wed Feb 18 2009

Alicia we Feb 2009 more on insects will be much better especially its effects on pests.

Nicotiana glauca

john. Sat Aug 15 2009

Like F. Goffman said it doesn't contain that much nicotine if any at all, mostly Anabasine.

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