One unique variety, Nicotiana langsdorffii Variegata, has Chartreuse bell-shaped flowers with blue pollen that makes a beautiful contrast.

Nicotiana seeds are very small. They can be sown directly into the garden in spring or started in March indoors. They prefer 64 to 72 degrees to germinate within two weeks.

Last fall a gardener gave me a few seedpods of N. alata. They were so tiny that in March, I laid the sheet of paper towel containing the seeds on moist vermiculite and misted them every day until they were big enough to plant into pots. About 70 plants made it into gardens.

The “alata” in the name means winged, referring to the winged petioles. Butterflies and moths love Nicotiana alata; small insects become attached to its sticky leaves. Tobacco hornworm caterpillars enjoy eating Nicotiana leaves. Jean Nicot introduced the plant in France, so it was named for him.

Sources

• Baker Creek Seeds (http://rareseeds.com), Nicotiana alata seeds, Fragrant Delight and Scentsation Mix, 100-seeds $2.25.

• Burpee Seeds, www.burpee.com, Nicotiana Marshmallow with rose, pink and white flowers, 30 seeds, $3.50. Nicki, mixed colors is 100 for $2.75.

• Native Seeds Search, (http://www.nativeseeds.org/v2/content.php?catID=1024), a site full of seed resources. Native Seeds free to Native Americans of the Southwest.

• Seed Savers (http://www.seedsavers.org), 250 night-scented Woodland Tobacco seeds $2.75.

• Swallowtail Garden, www.swallowtailgardenseed.com, Nicotiana x sanderae, 12-inch plant with lightly fragrant blooms in peach, rose, crimson, lime green, pink, purple, red, salmon-pink and white, 100 seeds, $2.25.

• Victory Seed, www.victoryseeds.com, 700 Nicotiana Sylvestris seeds for $3. Owen uses this as one of her sources.