Native tobacco facts for kids

Nicotiana occidentalis, often called native tobacco, is a plant that grows in Australia. It is a type of herb that usually lives for a short time.

About Native Tobacco

This plant can be an annual, meaning it lives for only one year. It can also be a short-lived perennial, which means it lives for a few years. It grows to be about 10 to 120 centimeters tall.

The plant has pretty white or pink flowers. If you touch it, you might notice it's covered in sticky hairs.

How Scientists Named It

Scientists gave this plant its official name, Nicotiana occidentalis, in 1935. A scientist named Helen-Mar Wheeler first described it. She studied a plant sample found near Port Hedland in 1911.

There are three main types, or subspecies, of this native tobacco plant. One type, called N. occidentalis subsp. obliqua, is found in many places. The other two types, N. occidentalis subsp. occidentalis and N. occidentalis subsp. hesperis, are only found in Western Australia.

Where It Grows

Native tobacco grows across the middle parts of mainland Australia. You won't find it in the very hot, tropical north. It also doesn't grow in the cooler, wetter areas in the southwest and southeast.

This means you can find it in every mainland Australian state except Victoria. It can grow in different kinds of soil, like sand, clay, or rocky ground. You might see it on flat plains, next to small rivers, or on coastal areas with limestone.