Q. Are there tobacco plants within NYBG?
I'm interested in looking at tobacco leaves for a project. Thanks!
Answer
The chief commercial tobacco crop plant is Nicotiana tabacum, a member of the Solonaceae (nightshade) family. This plant is not on display at NYBG.
Other members of the genus, including Nicotiana mutabilis, Nicotiana x sandereae 'Baby Bella' and Nicotiana langsdorffi 'Lime Green', appear as annuals in the Ladies' Border, The Seasonal Walk and The Home Gardening Center. The leaves of these plants share some of the characteristics of the commercial tabacco leaf but are far smaller and not identical in shape.
Courtesy of the NYBG Plant Information Service
