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Often regarded as a decorative plant, Nicotiana alata is an extremely fragrant tobacco that is also used for smoking. People of the Middle East and the Balkans use hookahs to smoke jasmine tobacco by first chopping it, then breaking it up by hand.
A native plant to Brazil, it was first introduced to the Arab world by the English sometime during the nineteenth century. Its fragrant white flowers open only in the evening, giving it the name Night-scented tobacco. Sometimes flowers develop different colors; lime green, red, and yellow. Many hybrids are derived from this species of tobacco. Flowers usually grow to be 12 to 14 inches tall, needing an equal amount of spacing to grow.
As with all products containing nicotine it should not be ingested.

Description

Growing Information: This species is usually grown as an annual, but it also makes an excellent potted plant during the winter months. Seeds should be surface sown in fertile, well-draining loam in partial shade to full sun. They are best off being direct sown after any danger of frost or sown in trofts outside and transplanted to the ground when about two inches tall. They can also be started indoors for an early start. This also helps prevent them from being carried away by the wind or water. Thin plants to about two feet apart, and cut off the flowering tops to increase leaf size. Remove dead flowers to encourage new ones to emerge. Regular fertilization is recommended. Germination typically takes 10-20 days.