Nicotiana White Trumpets

Nicotiana sylvestris 'White Trumpets' Woodland Tobacco / Flowering Tobacco 'White Trumpets'

A monster of a plant — a towering 1.5-metre cottage architectural giant with a huge rosette of large paddle-shaped leaves at the base and a central flowering spike carrying dozens of hanging pure-white trumpet flowers. By day, an architectural tropical-looking presence. As dusk falls, the trumpets open and release the most extraordinary evening fragrance in the entire garden — the unmistakable signature scent of the moon garden.

Nicotiana sylvestris is the Nicotiana for gardeners who want maximum drama and maximum evening fragrance, and who have the space for a plant that genuinely earns its description as "a monster". From a February–April indoor sowing, the plant grows by June into a towering 1.5m (5ft) structure with a huge rosette of large paddle-shaped leaves at the base and a central flowering spike carrying dozens of long hanging white trumpets. This is not a plant for the front of a small border — it needs the back of a large one, or a generous position where its considerable size can be fully accommodated and where it can rise dramatically against a hedge or wall. Half-hardy annual.

The fragrance is the defining quality. During the day, the trumpets hang closed (the flowers close in daylight and heat, which is why this plant's daytime display is primarily architectural rather than floral). As temperatures drop in late afternoon and evening, the trumpets begin to open, first releasing fragrance and then becoming visually prominent as their white colour catches the low evening light. By dusk, a well-established 'White Trumpets' plant is one of the most spectacular garden sights available — the drama of its scale combined with the luminous quality of the open white trumpets and the extraordinary fragrance creates an evening experience of genuine emotional impact.

A note on growing

Surface-sow at 20°C from February–April — light is essential for germination, so do not cover the seeds. Cover the tray with clear plastic or glass to maintain humidity. Germination 14–21 days. Pot on once large enough to handle. Harden off carefully and plant out in JUNE ONLY into rich, moist soil at the back of the border. Allow 60cm around each plant for the substantial rosette to develop. Stake the main spike — at 1.5m, the central flowering spike benefits from support, particularly in exposed gardens.

Nicotiana sylvestris needs rich, moist, fertile soil to achieve its full size. Dig in plenty of compost or well-rotted organic matter before planting and water regularly during dry spells. This is not a drought-tolerant plant — give it the conditions of a tropical-looking exotic and it rewards you accordingly.

The hawk moth attraction: 'White Trumpets' is one of the primary hawk moth attraction plants in the UK garden, and the hummingbird hawk moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) in particular is known to visit these plants intensively. The long hanging white trumpets are precisely the shape that hawk moth proboscises are adapted to access — a long tubular structure requiring the hovering approach that hawk moths employ.

The sticky-leaf phenomenon: the leaves are covered with tiny glandular hairs that secrete a sticky substance. Small insects — midges, fungus gnats — do sometimes become trapped on these hairs. This is not a "carnivorous" mechanism (the plant doesn't digest them) but is part of the leaf's natural defence chemistry.

⚠️ Toxicity warning: all parts toxic if ingested by humans or pets. Wear gloves when handling.

Where it shines

At the back of large cottage borders, where the 1.5m scale and tropical-looking foliage create the dramatic architectural anchor that a serious cottage garden composition needs. In moon gardens, where 'White Trumpets' occupies the back of the scheme as the towering vertical element against which all lower-growing white flowers read. Against pale walls or fences where the night-time fragrance can be appreciated indoors through open windows. As the centrepiece of any moon garden — the size and fragrance combine for one of the most memorable evening garden experiences possible from a UK seed packet.

Plant alongside

The complete moon garden hierarchy: pair 'White Trumpets' at the back of the border with Nicotiana 'Starlight Dancer' in the middle height, Cosmos 'Purity' and Gypsophila 'Covent Garden' at the front and base, and Night Scented Stock (if stocked) for ground-level evening perfume. The result is a four-tier moon garden providing visual glow and olfactory experience from dusk through to midnight.