How to Grow Nicotiana
'Starlight Dancer' from Seed
The Moon Garden dancer -- pure white five-pointed star flowers on elegantly wiry 60-90cm stems that face upward toward the evening sky and glow luminously in twilight while swaying in the lightest breeze; a Half-Hardy Annual releasing powerful jasmine fragrance at dusk; surface sow in light at 18-20°C; plant near evening-use spaces in late May; deadhead for flowering to October; the definitive white evening garden plant; all parts toxic
Nicotiana 'Starlight Dancer' is named with genuine poetic accuracy. The pure white, five-pointed star-shaped flowers -- which orient themselves upward toward the evening sky rather than drooping or turning sideways -- do exactly what the name suggests: they glow luminously in the fading twilight as other garden flowers become invisible, appearing to float like tiny celestial bodies above the border. And the slender, wiry stems that carry them move in even the gentlest evening breeze with a fluid, graceful swaying quality that is genuinely mesmerising when watched in still evening air -- the effect of living theatre, of movement and light combined in the way that only a few garden plants achieve.
The scent that accompanies this visual performance is equally remarkable: a powerful, sweet jasmine-and-clove fragrance that Nicotiana releases at dusk in quantities that carry across a garden. Starlight Dancer is positioned at the more compact end of the upright Nicotiana range (60-90cm) -- significantly smaller than the towering White Trumpets but distinctly taller and more elegant than compact bedding varieties. The combination of height, white star flowers facing upward, delicate stem movement, and powerful evening fragrance makes this the definitive Moon Garden plant: a garden designed to be at its most beautiful and most sensory when the sun has gone down and the white flowers emerge from the gathering dusk like stars appearing from behind the blue of evening.
Quick Facts at a Glance
Plant Type
Half-Hardy Annual -- elegantly wiry; the romantic Moon Garden essential
Flowers
Five-pointed pure white upward-facing stars; 60-90cm; wiry dancing stems
Opens
Late afternoon and evening -- glows luminously in twilight; closes in full midday heat
Fragrance
Powerful jasmine-clove scent at dusk; stems sway in evening breeze like dancers
Toxicity
All parts toxic -- Nightshade family; wear gloves if skin-sensitive
Difficulty
2 out of 5 -- tiny light-needing seeds; worth every bit of the effort
Understanding the Moon Garden Performer
The Moon Garden Concept -- Why White Glows at Night
A Moon Garden is a planting designed to be experienced at dusk and in moonlight -- when white and pale-coloured flowers catch the available light and appear to glow while darker-coloured flowers become invisible. The concept exploits a natural visual phenomenon: in low light, the eye's rod cells (which detect light intensity rather than colour) become dominant over the cone cells (which detect colour), making pale, light-reflecting objects appear proportionally brighter than in daylight. A white flower that is merely pretty in full sun becomes extraordinary in low light -- visually prominent, almost luminous, seeming to generate light rather than simply reflect it. Nicotiana Starlight Dancer is among the finest Moon Garden plants available from seed: the white star flowers are highly visible in low light, they face upward (maximising light reflection toward the viewer), and they are present in their greatest glory precisely at the dusk-to-moonlight transition when a Moon Garden is at its peak.
Five-Pointed Stars vs. Drooping Trumpets -- The Starlight Dancer Difference
Nicotiana sylvestris (White Trumpets) produces long, hanging white trumpet flowers that droop downward, requiring the viewer to look up into the border from below or to walk among the plants to appreciate the flowers face-on. Nicotiana Starlight Dancer produces five-pointed star-shaped flowers that face upward and outward -- visible from normal standing and seated positions without requiring the viewer to look underneath the flower. This upward-facing orientation is both more practically visible in the garden and more visually effective in low light, where the stars catch ambient light from above rather than reflecting it downward.
Toxicity -- All Parts Toxic if Ingested
Nicotiana belongs to the Nightshade family (Solanaceae). All parts of the plant -- leaves, stems, flowers, and seeds -- are toxic if ingested by humans or pets. The sticky leaf hairs can also irritate sensitive skin on contact. Always wash hands after handling. Wear gloves if you have sensitive skin. Keep away from children and pets.
Sowing & Growing On
Surface Sow at 18-20°C -- Light Required -- Plant Out Late May-June
Scatter dust-like seeds onto moist compost surface from February-April. Press gently into the surface -- do not cover. Keep at 18-20°C in a bright position. Germination 10-14 days. Plant out late May-June at 30cm spacing in full sun to partial shade near evening-use areas.
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Surface sow indoors Feb-April at 18-20°C. Do not cover -- seeds need light. Press dust-like seeds very gently into the compost surface with a finger. Keep at consistent warmth in a bright position. Germination 10-14 days. Seedlings are very small initially -- keep moist and well-lit. Prick out when 2-3 true leaves appear.
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Grow on in individual pots at 18-20°C. Harden off thoroughly before planting out. Nicotiana seedlings are tender and should be hardened off gradually over 10-14 days. Do not plant out until the risk of frost has completely passed -- late May at the earliest in most UK locations, early June in northern England and Scotland.
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Plant out at 25-30cm spacing in full sun to partial shade. Partial shade in the afternoon helps keep flowers open slightly longer during hot days. Rich, moist, well-drained soil supports the rapid growth needed to reach full display height. Position near evening-use spaces -- patios, garden seats, open bedroom windows -- where the dusk fragrance can be fully appreciated.
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Deadhead spent flowers to encourage continuous flowering through October. Remove individual spent flower stems to below the next lateral bud. Regular deadheading significantly extends the season and the number of simultaneously open flowers. Without deadheading, plants set seed early and flower production declines rapidly in August.
Growing On & Care
The Evening Performance
Position Nicotiana Starlight Dancer for maximum evening performance: near a patio or seating area, in front of a dark hedge or fence that provides the background against which the white stars glow most dramatically, or beside a path that is used in the evening. The plants begin their performance as afternoon light fades -- the flowers that may have been partially closed during the midday heat open fully as temperatures drop, and the white star faces begin to catch the dimming light with their characteristic luminous quality. By dusk, a group of Starlight Dancer plants is one of the most beautiful sights the summer garden offers.
The Dancing Movement
The "dancer" element of the name is equally accurate to the "starlight" element. The slender, wiry flower stems of Starlight Dancer are flexible and responsive to air movement in a way that stouter-stemmed plants are not -- in even the lightest evening breeze (the kind that barely moves other plants), the Starlight Dancer stems sway in fluid, coordinated arcs that create genuine movement and animation in the border. A still-air evening is dramatic -- the flowers perfectly suspended; a light-breeze evening is even more so, the white stars tracing graceful curves in the dusk. Position where evening air movement will be present.
The Hawk Moth Connection
Nicotiana is one of the primary nectar sources for the hummingbird hawk moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) -- the extraordinary day-flying moth that hovers before tubular flowers and extends a long proboscis to access nectar, behaving in a manner precisely like a hummingbird in miniature. Starlight Dancer's white stars are particularly attractive to this moth, which is active in warm summer afternoons and evenings. In gardens where hummingbird hawk moths are present (increasingly common across southern England in warm summers), Nicotiana Starlight Dancer can become the most frequently-visited single plant in the garden by these remarkable pollinators.
White Garden Companions
Starlight Dancer is the definitive companion for a dedicated white evening garden scheme. Classic pairings from the Bishy range: White Cosmos Purity (large open saucers providing the horizontal element against which the upright Starlight Dancer stars provide the vertical); Gypsophila Covent Garden (the white mist of Gypsophila at lower height creates the atmospheric ground-level haze from which the Nicotiana rises); White Honesty (silver moon coins reflecting moonlight in late summer); and Night Scented Stock grown at the base (both flowering at dusk, providing a layered cloud of fragrance from two different height levels simultaneously).
Container and Patio Growing
Starlight Dancer is particularly well-suited to large container growing on a patio or balcony where the evening performance can be appreciated from a seated position. Use containers of at least 25-30 litres with rich, moisture-retentive compost. Water daily in hot weather. Feed weekly with a balanced liquid fertiliser from June. Position to catch evening light -- a white-painted wall behind the containers creates the ideal reflection background that maximises the luminous star-glow effect as light fades.
Self-Seeding
Nicotiana Starlight Dancer self-seeds readily where it is happy -- in sheltered positions with rich, moist soil and reasonable warmth. Allow some flower stalks to ripen and scatter seed in late summer, and self-sown plants will appear the following spring. Self-sown plants from Starlight Dancer typically produce white-flowered offspring true to the parent, as the white form is genetically stable. In warm, sheltered gardens with reasonable soil fertility, a Starlight Dancer planting can become genuinely self-perpetuating.
Sowing & Flowering Calendar
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| Plant out (late May-Jun) |
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| Flowers (Jul-Oct) |
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Common Problems & Solutions
| Problem | Likely Cause | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Seeds not germinating | Covered with soil; temperature inconsistent | Surface sow only -- no soil covering. Maintain a consistent 18-20°C. The dust-like seeds are virtually invisible on the compost surface -- trust that they are there and wait the full 14 days. Germination in correct conditions is reliable. |
| Flowers staying closed during the day | Normal behaviour for this variety | Starlight Dancer flowers open best in the late afternoon and evening. Some partial closure during hot midday hours is normal. Positioning in partial afternoon shade reduces this closure. The flowers are at their most fully open and most beautiful at dusk. |
| Poor stem movement; stiff plants | Over-rich soil producing thick stems; no air movement | Starlight Dancer's wiry, flexible stems develop best in moderately fertile rather than very rich soil. Position where evening air movement is present -- near a gap in a hedge, at the corner of a building, or in an open garden situation. |
| Plants finishing early | Not deadheaded; set seed | Remove spent flower stems regularly throughout the season. Without deadheading, plants put energy into seed production and flower quality and quantity decline rapidly after August. |
Plant Specifications
White stars that glow at dusk and sway in the evening breeze -- the most romantic flowering tobacco for the Moon Garden
Surface sow dust-like seeds at 18-20°C (no covering). Plant near a patio or seating area in late May in rich moist soil. Deadhead spent stems for continuous flowering. Position where evening light and air movement show the plants at their best. From July the upward-facing white stars glow in twilight, sway in the evening breeze, and release jasmine fragrance that draws hawk moths from across the garden.
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