Nicotiana sylvestris
Woodland Tobacco
This wonderful plant
is a good example of how a Saturn
herb can be poisonous and attractive at the same time. The beautiful elongated trumpet-shaped flowers bloom in summer
and at dusk give off a luxurious jasmine-like scent, which some say gives
evidence of an Air
of Venus aspect. This versatile magickal herb is also used for Fire and is an ingredient in
some Mars incense. This plant
is a great way to grow tobacco for workings but still have something ornamental
(on the level of scent) for your garden. And it's a wonderful
addition to the Moon garden.
Woodland tobacco is an annual in temperate zones and a perennial in areas without a
winter freeze. A bold plant, it gets 3-5ft/.9-1.5m feet high with leaves up to 18in/45cm
across. It becomes sticky with resins and catches
mosquitoes. It is pollinated by moths and self-sows easily. This
has much more nicotine than commercial
tobacco types, and so it is not good for smoking. Nicotine makes a great
pesticide, but don't get it on you, as it's poisonous. Plant this
by your back door and be enveloped by its scent on the way out to the yard
on summer evenings. Top
How
to grow Nicotiana sylvestris: If you can grow tomatoes,
you can grow this plant. Sprinkle the tiny seeds on wet Jiffy-7 pellets
and just lightly pat in with the tip of your finger. Use bottom watering.
They germinate in 5-15 days at 70-80F/21-27C. Transplant
out on a cloudy day or at dusk when the leaves are 2in/5cm long. Plant
in partial shade or sun. It likes moist, rich soil (no standing water).
Tobacco is a heavy feeder, so make sure the soil is enriched with plenty
of compost, especially if it is heavy clay (sticks together
when you squeeze it), and spray the plant with kelp and fish emulsion regularly.
Tobacco gives a lot, but it takes a lot too, whether as an herb or as
a citizen of the garden.
General
growing info Top
Nicotiana sylvestris
Woodland Tobacco
100
seeds $3.00
Uses in
Witchcraft & Magic:
Saturn Herb
Fire Herb
Baneful Work
© 2006 Alchemy Works; No reproduction without permission