Tobacco Guide

Tobacco Comparison Chart

Compare every tobacco we carry side by side. Virginia (bright leaf) types cure golden and mild; burley cures light brown with a fuller flavor; cigar types are grown for wrapper, binder and filler leaf; and dark, oriental and rustica types bring rich, aromatic or high-nicotine leaf. Tobacco seed is tiny: surface-sow it indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost. Tap any variety to see full details and order seed.

Download printable PDF Virginia & Bright Leaf Burley Cigar Wrapper Cigar Binder & Filler Oriental & Turkish Flowering Tobacco Dark Air- & Fire-Cured Rustica & Heritage

bright leaf

Virginia

Cures golden; mild and sweet for cigarettes.

air-cured

Burley

Light brown leaf with a fuller flavor.

wrapper · binder · filler

Cigar

Leaf grown for every part of a cigar.

dark · oriental · rustica

Specialty

Rich, aromatic and high-nicotine leaf.

Virginia & Bright Leaf

Variety	Days	Cures To	Height	Best For	Notes	Disease Resistance
Bucak	50	Light brown	5 ft	Cigarette, pipe	Turkish-bred; hardy	—
Virginia Gold Heirloom	55	Golden	6–7 ft	Cigarette, pipe	18 big leaves	—
Yellow Orinoco Heirloom	55	Golden	5 ft	Cigarette, pipe	16 leaves; few suckers	—
Big Gem Heirloom	60	Golden	5½ ft	Cigarette, pipe	25+ leaves; hardy	—
Gold Leaf 939	60	Gold-brown	—	Cigarette, pipe	Uniform; few suckers	—
Vesta 64	60	Golden	4½–5 ft	Cigarette, pipe	Air or flue cures	—
Virginia 355	60	Golden	—	Cigarette, pipe	Flue-cured type	—
Virginia 724	60	Golden	—	Cigarette, pipe	Smooth flue-cured	—
Costello Negro	65	Golden	5–6 ft	Cigarette, pipe	Sweet, slightly nutty	—
Delhi 34	65	Golden	7 ft	Cigarette, pipe	Sheds rain; few suckers	BRRWFL
Virginia 116	65	Bright gold	4½ ft	Cigarette, pipe	Mild; easy to air cure	—
American 14	70	Golden	6 ft+	Cigarette, pipe	30 leaves; drought-hardy	—
American 572	70	Golden	6 ft	Cigarette, pipe	Aromatic; air or flue cure	—
Gold Leaf Orinoco	70	Golden	6 ft	Cigarette, pipe	Peruvian Orinoco strain	—
Silk Leaf Heirloom	70	Golden	6 ft+	Cigarette, pipe	Mild; high yield	—
Tekne	70	Golden	6–7 ft	Cigarette, pipe	Hungarian Orinoco type	—
Cherry Red	75	Golden	7 ft+	Cigarette, pipe	25+ big leaves	—
Virginia Bright Leaf Heirloom	75	Gold-brown	6 ft	Cigarette, pipe	18–20 leaves per plant	—
Virginia 15	90	Golden	5 ft	Cigarette, pipe	Light, aromatic	—

Burley

Variety	Days	Cures To	Height	Best For	Notes	Disease Resistance
Golden Burley	60	Buckskin	5–6 ft	Cigarette, blend	Mild; ages quickly	—
Burley 21	65	Light brown	6–7 ft	Cigarette, blend	Full flavor; heavy leaf	—
Burley 64	65	Light brown	—	Cigarette, blend	White stem; cures easily	BRRBSFWTMV
Burley 9	65	Gold-brown	—	Cigarette, blend	Drought resistant	—
KY 15	65	Orange-tan	—	Cigarette, blend	Almost no suckers	—
Harrow Velvet	70	Light brown	—	Cigarette, blend	Uniform; ages quickly	—
NB 11	70	Light brown	5 ft	Cigarette, blend	Thick leaf; wind resistant	—
Shargo	70	Light brown	7–8 ft	Pipe, blending	Burley × Turkish; spicy	—
TN 86	80	Light brown	—	Cigarette, blend	High yield; virus res.	BRRBSPVYWF

Starting tobacco from seed

Tobacco seed is dust-fine and needs light to germinate, so press it onto moist seed-starting mix without covering it. Start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost, transplant after frost danger has passed, and give plants full sun and rich soil. Top the flower heads and remove suckers for larger leaves.

Cigar Wrapper

Variety	Days	Cures To	Height	Best For	Notes	Disease Resistance
Florida Sumatra Heirloom	55	—	6 ft	Wrapper (shade)	24 × 15 in. leaves	—
Paris Wrapper Heirloom	60	—	6 ft	Wrapper, binder	30 × 20 in. leaves	—
Scantic	60	—	—	Wrapper (shade)	Connecticut Valley type	—
Magnolia	65	—	—	Cigar wrapper	Oval leaves; few suckers	—
Connecticut Shade	80	—	9 ft+	Wrapper (shade)	26–28 leaves; uniform	—
Corojo 99	80	Dark brown	6 ft	Cigar wrapper	Silky; spicy cedar aroma	—

Cigar Binder & Filler

Variety	Days	Cures To	Height	Best For	Notes	Disease Resistance
Little Dutch Heirloom	45	—	3 ft	Filler, pipe	Good in containers	—
Comstock Spanish Heirloom	50	—	4½ ft	Binder, wrapper	Wisconsin, late 1800s	—
Cuban Criollo 98	55	—	6 ft	Cigar binder	Classic Cuban strain	—
Havana 142	55	Light brown	—	Binder, chew	Good for short seasons	—
L'Assomption	55	—	4½–5 ft	Filler, binder	Canadian, 1930s	—
Negro Black	55	Dark brown	—	Cigar	Long cure; mild smoke	—
Ohio Dutch	55	—	4–5 ft	Filler, pipe	Long, narrow leaves	—
Dominican Republic Olor	60	—	6 ft	Cigar	Pointed leaves	—
Havana 501	60	Med. brown	—	Cigar	Cuban heritage	—
La Palma Havana	60	—	—	Cigar	Cuban-style aroma	—
Lancaster Seedleaf	60	Deep brown	—	Filler, binder	Pennsylvania classic	—
Walkers Broadleaf Heirloom	60	—	—	All cigar uses	1880s heirloom	—
Wisconsin 901	60	—	—	Cigar binder	Tight, upright form	—
Havana 608	65	—	—	Filler, binder	20 leaves; wind hardy	—
Habano 2000	70	—	6 ft	Cigar	Corojo cross	—
Pennsylvania Red	70	Red-brown	5 ft	Filler, binder	Leaves up to 3 ft long	—

Oriental & Turkish

Variety	Days	Cures To	Height	Best For	Notes	Disease Resistance
Samsun Maden	55	Light	6 ft	Cigarette, pipe	Milder Samsun strain	—
Black Sea Samsun	65	—	4–5 ft	Cigarette, pipe	Rich aroma; mild	—
Japan 8	65	—	6 ft	Blending	Sweet; low nicotine	—
Ainaro	70	—	—	Sun-cured	Timor-Leste heritage	—
Bursa	70	—	8 ft	Pipe, blending	30+ leaves; stake it	—
Shirazi	70	Light tan	—	Sun-cured	Persian; thin leaves	—

Flowering Tobacco

Variety	Days	Cures To	Height	Best For	Notes	Disease Resistance
Jasmine	21	—	4 ft	Ornamental	Fragrant evening blooms	—
Sylvestris	50	—	3–5 ft	Ornamental	White trumpet flowers	—

Dark Air- & Fire-Cured

Variety	Days	Cures To	Height	Best For	Notes	Disease Resistance
Tofta	55	Med.–dark	—	Pipe, cigar	Earthy, robust flavor	—
Madole Heirloom	60	Dark brown	5 ft	Pipe, cigar	Often fire-cured	—
One Sucker Heirloom	60	Dark	4–5 ft	Chew, cigar	Frost & wind resistant	—
Red Rose	60	Med. brown	—	Cigarette, pipe	Aromatic	—
Sm. Stalk Black Mammoth Heirloom	60	Dark	4–5 ft	Pipe, snuff	30 × 16 in. leaves	—
Catterton Heirloom	65	Red-brown	3–5 ft	Cigarette, pipe	Maryland heirloom	—
Goose Creek Red	65	Red-brown	—	Pipe, wrapper	Silky leaf	—
Greenwood Heirloom	65	—	5–6 ft	Chew, cigar	Fire-cured heirloom	—
PY KY 171	65	Dark	5–6 ft	Fire-cured	Pale yellow line	BRRTMVWF
Shirey	65	Med. brown	—	Cigarette, pipe	Frost hardy	—
Stag Horn	65	Red-brown	—	Cigarette, pipe	Horn-shaped leaves	—

Rustica & Heritage

Variety	Days	Cures To	Height	Best For	Notes	Disease Resistance
Pueblo	40	—	4–5 ft	Blending	Thick, waxy leaves	—
Punche	40	—	—	Blending	Frost tolerant; fast	—
Limonka Rustica	45	Dark	2½ ft	Blending	Polish heirloom	—
Sacred Cornplanter	50	—	—	Blending	Big rustica leaves	—
Papante	55	—	—	Blending	Sonoran heritage	—
Little Cuba	60	—	3–4 ft	Cigar	Bushy; second harvest	—
Mohawk	65	—	3 ft	Blending	Big, thick rustica leaves	—
Mountain Pima	65	—	3–4 ft	Blending	Pink flowers	—
Aztec Rustica	70	Med.–dark	2½ ft	Blending	Yellow flowers	—
Yumbo	70	—	3 ft	Blending	Amazon heritage	—

Disease Resistance Codes

BRRBlack root rot

BSBlack shank

FWFusarium wilt

PVYPotato virus Y

TMVTobacco mosaic virus

WFWildfire

WFLWeather fleck

Days are from transplant to first harvest and are typical values; results vary with growing conditions. A dash (—) means the value is not published or varies. Tobacco seed is sold for ornamental, educational and legal personal use; check your local laws.