Quercus

Cultivated Tobacco

Nicotiana tabacum

Not native to Kentucky

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

59CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · Nicotiana

  • Agnorisma badinodisPale-Banded Dart
  • Agrotis gladiariaSwordsman Dart, Clay-Backed Cut-Worm
  • Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
  • Agrotis malefidaRascal Dart, Pale-Sided Cut-Worm, Shagreened Cut-Worm
  • Agrotis venerabilisVenerable Dart, Dusky Cut-Worm
  • Agrotis vetustaOld Man Dart
  • Anagrapha falciferaCelery Looper Moth
  • Anarta trifoliiThe Nutmeg, Clover Cutworm
  • Anicla infectaGreen Cutworm Moth
  • Anomis erosaYellow Scallop Moth, Mallow Caterpillar
Show all 59
  • Anomis flavaTropical Anomis Moth
  • Apamea amputatrixYellow-Headed Cutworm Moth
  • Apamea devastatorGlassy Borer, Glassy Cutworm Moth
  • Apantesis phylliraPhyllira Tiger Moth
  • Argyrogramma verrucaGolden Looper
  • Chloridea subflexaSubflexus Straw, Groundcherry Sun Moth
  • Chloridea virescensTobacco Budworm Moth
  • Choephora fungorumBent-Line Dart
  • Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
  • Ctenoplusia oxygrammaSharp-Stigma Looper Moth
  • Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
  • Eupsilia sidusSidus Sallow
  • Euxoa bostoniensisBoston Dart
  • Euxoa detersaRubbed Dart, Sandhill Cutworm
  • Euxoa messoriaReaper Dart, Darksided Cutworm, Dark-Sided Cutworm
  • Euxoa tessellataTessellate Dart, Striped Cutworm
  • Feltia herilisMaster's Dart
  • Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
  • Feltia subgothicaSubgothic Dart
  • Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
  • Hahncappsia mancalisCommon Hahncappsia
  • Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
  • Lacinipolia meditataThe Thinker
  • Lacinipolia renigeraBristly Ground Cat, Bristly Cutworm Moth, Kidney Spotted "Mamestra"
  • Lineodes integraEggplant Leafroller
  • Manduca quinquemaculatusFive-Spotted Hawkmoth, Tomato Hornworm
  • Manduca sextaCarolina Sphinx, Tomatoe Sphinx, Tobacco Hornworm
  • Megalographa bilobaBilobed Looper Moth
  • Neodactria caliginosellusCorn Webworm, Corn Root Webworm, Sooty Crambus
  • Orthodes majusculaRustic Quaker, Rustic Groundcat
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Paratrea plebejaPlebeian Sphinx, Trumpet Vine Sphinx
  • Pediasia trisectaSod Webworm Moth, Larger Sod Webworm
  • Protolampra brunneicollisBrown-Collared Dart
  • Rachiplusia ouGray Looper
  • Spaelotis clandestinaClandestine Dart, W-Marked Cutworm
  • Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Spodoptera albulaWhite-Spotted Armyworm, Gray-Streaked Armyworm
  • Spodoptera dolichosSweetpotato Armyworm, Dolichos Armyworm, Large Cotton Armyworm
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
  • Sunira bicoloragoBicolored Sallow
  • Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
  • Trichordestra legitimaStriped Garden Caterpillar Moth
  • Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
  • Xestia c-nigrumSpotted Cut-Worm, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Lesser Black-letter Dart
  • Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
2BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Nicotiana

  • Alectoris chukarChukar
  • Zenaida asiaticaWhite-winged Dove
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Solanaceae
Hardiness
Zones 7a–11b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Cream, green, pink or white

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Tobacco

Conservation status

Kentucky rankSNA
Global rankGNR
KY statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Native alternatives

Find natives for your garden

Sources