Changing Tobacco Plant

Nicotiana mutabilis is a truly magical annual for the UK garden. As the name suggests, the flowers 'mutate' or change colour as they age. A single plant will concurrently display flowers in shades of pure white, pale pink, and deep rose, giving it a light, ethereal appearance. It is a tall, airy plant reaching up to 1.2m or even 1.5m in ideal conditions, with numerous small, trumpet-shaped blooms held on slender, branching stems. It is particularly effective when planted where it can be backlit by the evening sun. Like many Nicotianas, it is most fragrant in the evening and at night, attracting hawkmoths. It is a half-hardy annual that performs best in a sheltered spot in full sun or partial shade. It often self-seeds in milder UK gardens. Although it looks delicate, it is surprisingly robust and continues to bloom late into the autumn until the first hard frost.

Sun: Full sun to partial shade.

Soil: Moist but well-drained, fertile soil.

Hardiness: H2/H3.

Flowering: Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.