Wild Tobacco

Nicotiana rustica

Nicotiana rustica, commonly known as Aztec tobacco or strong tobacco, known to the Powhatan people as Apooke, is a rainforest plant in the family Solanaceae native to South America. It is a very potent variety of tobacco, containing up to nine times more nicotine than common species of Nicotiana such as Nicotiana tabacum. More specifically, N. rustica leaves have a nicotine content as high as 9%, whereas N. tabacum leaves contain about 1 to 3%. The high concentration of nicotine in its leaves makes it useful for producing pesticides, and it has a wide variety of uses specific to cultures around the world. However, N. rustica is no longer cultivated in North America as N. tabacum has replaced it.

Scientific name

Nicotiana rustica

Family

Solanaceae