Tobacco

Tobacco Seeds

Grow your own home tobacco plant free of additives! These heirloom tobacco plants have been around for years and grow great in home gardens.

Learn More

How to Grow Tobacco

Scantic tobacco, a cherished variety in the world of tobacco cultivation, is renowned for its rich flavor and smooth smoking experience. Originating from the Connecticut River Valley region in the United States, Scantic tobacco is classified as a shade-grown cigar wrapper leaf, prized for its exceptional quality and versatility. The leaves of Scantic tobacco are typically medium to dark brown in color, with a smooth and supple texture. Upon ignition, Scantic tobacco releases a pleasant aroma characterized by hints of cedar, leather, and warm spices, setting the stage for a delightful smoking experience. The flavor profile of Scantic tobacco is complex, with notes of earthiness, sweetness, and subtle spice, creating a well-rounded and satisfying smoke. Whether used as a wrapper leaf for premium cigars or blended with other tobaccos to enhance complexity, Scantic tobacco offers a refined and enjoyable smoking experience that is sure to delight aficionados around the world.

Goose Creek Red is named after a small river that runs into the Charleston Harbor. This dark Virginian type tobacco air cures to a deep reddish brown color and makes an excellent pipe or full flavored cigarette blend. It has a silky feel, making it ideal as a wrapper for cigars. Grows to about 6 feet in height and matures in 65 days.

Most commonly used as a cigar binder but may be used as a filler or pipe tobacco blend or in cigarettes. It produces large leaves, has a tight upright columnar form.

Walkers Broad Leaf is an heirloom cigar variety dating back to the 1880's, said to have originally been developed from the Maryland Broad Leaf. It grows to 6' in height and matures in 55-60 days. The leaves are from 12" to 16" wide and 20" to 24" in length, turning a light green and mottled when ripe. It can be used as a wrapper, binder or filler.

Yumbo is a primitive strain of tobacco grown by the Yumbo tribe in the upper Amazon basin. It grows to 3' in height and matures in 45-50 days. The thick leaves are a dark green color averaging 9"-12" in width, and 14"-16" in length. The edges turn yellow when ripe and cured leaf has a nicotine content of 1.8%.

A bright leaf variety that was imported by the USDA from Columbia in 1967. A tall grower that reaches a height of 5-6'. Leaves grow close together with inverted cones. Produces a sweet mild flavor with a slightly nutty taste, and is an excellent cigarette or pipe tobacco. It can be used in a blend, or on its own. Costello has a nicotine content at 2.4%. The leaves air cure to a light brown to a dark reddish brown.

Bucak was developed in Turkey from a flu cured, bright leaf Virginian tobacco imported in the 1930's from the US. It grows to 5' in height with large heavy leaves densely spaced on the stalk, and matures in 50 days. Averages 20 leaves per plant, 12"-14" wide and 22"-26" long. It tolerates heavy rains and wind well and will withstand early fall frosts with little or no damage. It air cures easily to a light brown.

Sylvestris is native to Argentina and is often called Woodland Tobacco. A good producer of leaves, but today is best known for its large trumpet shaped white flowers. The leaves have a nicotine content averaging 3.9%. Flowers appear on top of a 3-4 foot high stalk in 45-50 days, rising above the leaves and often form a cascading white waterfall effect. Sylvestris is a striking addition to any flower garden.

This coveted strain of tobacco (Nicotiana tobaccum) originally hailed from the Shiraz region of Persia. The tobacco plant is fast growing and produces thin leaves that are traditionally sun-cured and turn to a gorgeous light tan.

An heirloom dark tobacco with a rich full flavor. It's often fire cured for use as a pipe or cigar tobacco. Its deep colored green leaves air cure to a dark brown. It grows 5 feet in height and matures early.

A hardy dark Virginian tobacco that grows fast, with long, thick, narrow leaves. The leaves turn under at the tips giving it a horn like shape. It has a rich, full flavor and is good for cigarettes, pipes and cigars. Stag Horn grows up to 6 feet in height and matures in about 65 days. The leaves air cure to a deep reddish brown.

TN 86 is a medium-to-late-maturing cultivar at about 80 days, that has more leaves and a more upright growth habit than other burley cultivars. TN 86, is the first burley tobacco variety having good resistance to TVMV and TEV diseases. TN 86 was released by the University of Tennessee as a commercial cultivar in 1986. The new cultivar, which is also resistant to black shank, black root rot, wildfire, and most strains of potato virus Y. TN 86 consistently out yields other burley cultivars. The cured leaf is generally reddish-tan in color and has great smoking quality.