Do you know the Latin name of the nicotiana?
The N.alata is fragrant; I have some with the common name of
'Fragrant White cloud'
You have the woodland nicotiana,N.Sylvestris?

I don't know what type you have, but I grew the nicotiana eau de cologne, and it had a wonderful scent that perfumed the garden. This year I have a taller type, I can't remember the variety, and it does smell nice, but not as powerful as the eau de cologne.

I agree with Franeli...the Nicotiana alata is more fragrant than most of the shorter cultivars...

Ellen

This is my first year with nicotiana also, and I love them. I started most from seed that was "mixed nicotiana". They are all colors and sizes, but none very fragrant. They've been profuse bloomers and I water them a lot, but they're starting to look pretty spent now. If I cut off some of the stems, will it encourage new fresh growth and stems? Thanks for any help.
Karen

My Nicotania, from a packet of seeds, grew so tall that I had to cut it back and it's just now beginning to develop new growth. The colors on mine are white and lilac and is slightly fragrant.

Would anyone know where to obtain seed for the
nicotiana eau de cologne or the alata with a strong fragrance?
alkuncy@netzero.com
Ursula

Try Thompson-Morgan - I've linked to the page, you will have to scroll down abit

Here is a link that might be useful: Thompson-Morgan

I agree....N. alata perfumes the evening air wonderfully! In fact, it's intoxicating :)
{{gwi:19938}}
{{gwi:19939}}

Vera

Zinia,
I suppose your Nicotania MAY overwinter in your climate(z7) but not mine. Being an annual, the chopping down and mulching for dormancy would be a reduntant thing. However, it MAY self-sow for next year. They are certainley known to do so. For scent, I grew Nicotania Sylvestris in white (your standard heirloom)last year outside my door and nothing beats it. My landlady, while waiting for me to answer the door was just in Heaven!

Agree that nicotiana sylvestris a/k/a None but the Lonely (why?) is the very best for fragrance - scents the whole garden. A big, big plant and not just tall but those huge leaves need room to spread.
It seeded itself from last year for the first time though I also set out plants. The plants bloomed much earlier but both are flowering now.
Out in back it's in a waste area that was weeds last year - I figure it will reclaim it for flowers since the nicotiana leaves crowd out everything else.
None of the nicotiana have much fragrance during the day - it's at night that they come into their own.

Usually after planting nicotianas like syvestris and named variaties like fragrant cloud you never have to plant them again. They have been seeding around my garden since the 1980s and their seedlings are easy to recognize. Some years it appeared that a few plants survived the winter, but I'm not sure that overwintered plants have any advantage over fresh seedlings.

I had grown Nicotiana langsdorfii last year, and it didn't reseed. I'm growing N. alata "mixed" and N. "Peace Pipe" this year. I haven't been deadheading either, so I'm hoping they'll reseed. I normally have an excellent sense of smell, but I can't smell my nicotiana's! That's not to say they don't have a scent; I just never go up to many things to smell them, especially after taking a strong whiff of my Sea Holly - P-E-W!!!

Has any one have a problem with aphids on syvestris. As much as I love them, I don't grow them any more because they get absolutely covered with the bugs. Yuck! Langsdorfii is my favorite Nic; they look fab in mixed containers, but regretfully no fragrance for me.

Nicotianas (alata and sylvestris) smell fragrant only at night. They attract night flying insects for pollination.