Nicotiana is an annual grown for its blooms, which open from summer through fall. It's hardy across USDA zones 2 through 11, shrugs off deer and grows just as well in a container as in the ground. Its flowers are a real draw for moths, hummingbirds, and butterflies.
Nicotiana — the short answer
Nicotiana: grown in zones 2–11, part sun, pH 5.5–7.5, about 70 days to maturity.
- USDA zones
- 2–11
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7.5
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Sun
- Part Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Days to Maturity
- 70 days
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Frost-kill temp (growing season)
- 32°F
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
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What Nicotiana is
Nicotiana grows as an annual and reaches around four feet at maturity. It blooms from summer through fall. It's also deer-resistant and well suited to containers.
How to grow Nicotiana
Nicotiana grows in USDA zones 2 through 11. Nicotiana does best in part sun — at least 4 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground. It needs around 1,300 growing degree days to mature and a growing season of at least 60 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
2-11
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5.5 - 7.5
Growable Ground Plant Database
Sun
Part Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost Kill Temperature
32°F
Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.
Growable Ground Plant Database
Days to Maturity
70 days
Growable Ground plant catalog
GDD Required
1300+
Growing degree-days of accumulated warmth it needs to mature — humid summers reach this faster than cool coastal ones.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
4 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
60+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant nicotiana in part sun with at least 4 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed.
Match the soil
Nicotiana prefers pH 5.5 to 7.5 (Growable Ground Plant Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at its peak
Cut nicotiana blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.
Where Nicotiana thrives
On hardiness alone, nicotiana grows across most of the country — its range (USDA zones 2 through 11) is unusually wide. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 2–11 spans average winter lows from -50°F to 50°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 48 outright and splits 3 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 2–11·Where Nicotiana growsOpen map →
Continental US shown — Alaska and US Pacific territories sit outside the federal map's polygon dataset.
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Nicotiana stands, state by state
Nicotiana is rated for zones 2–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at -50 to -40°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 48 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 3 more, and 0 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 2–11
48 states
3 of 48 shown
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Nicotiana
Growing guides for nicotiana
In rotation planning, nicotiana counts as a Nightshade — beds recover best when nightshade crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Related plants in annual flower
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — nicotiana is toxic to dogs and cats (moderate severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
Nicotiana is a standout pollinator plant — high value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)
Your land is one point inside Nicotiana's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Nicotiana will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether nicotiana actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Nicotiana
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Nicotiana in my zone?
Nicotiana grows in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 11 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Nicotiana?
Most growers plant nicotiana after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed, leaving enough of the season for its 60-day frost-free need. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Nicotiana need?
Nicotiana does well in partial sun — around 4 hours of direct sun, and it takes some afternoon shade in stride. That flexibility makes it a good match for a bed the house or a nearby tree shades for part of the day. A Growable Ground report maps how the sun actually falls on your land, hour by hour, so you can set it where the light lines up.
What soil does Nicotiana need?
Nicotiana prefers soil pH 5.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground (Growable Ground Plant Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Nicotiana attract pollinators?
Yes — nicotiana's flowers are a strong nectar and pollen source for moths, hummingbirds, and butterflies. (Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)
Is Nicotiana safe for pets?
Nicotiana is toxic to pets (dogs,cats) with moderate severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
Keep exploring Nicotiana
Nicotiana state by state
Every state nicotiana's zone reaches — 29 link straight to that state's nicotiana growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.